A Kiss to Build a Dream On
by greenlemons
Summary: Jared and Kim find themselves expecting a baby. But with Kim feeling quite unhappy about this pregnancy and her hormones going out of control, Jared does his best to keep his wife happy through it all.
1. The Sad Pirate

**SEQUEL TO _HOW A RESURRECTION REALLY FEELS!_**

**AN: I wasn't planning on making a sequel, but this idea came and I had to write it. If you read _No Beginning, No End_ there will be a mention of Jared and Kim in the next chapter which inspired me to see what was going on in their lives at that moment. So here it is the sequel to _How a Resurrection Really Feels_, something that has been requeted from me for months, ever since I finnished that story. I'm happy to say that I'm excited to get back into Jared and Kim's life, which has been the easiest story for me to life for reasons still unknown to me. It's still from Jared's POV too, because I love his mind. Thank you and READ AND REVIEW!!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own this. Only the idea.**

Chapter 1: The Sad Pirate

_Don't get offended  
If I seem absent minded  
Just keep telling me facts  
And keep making me smile  
- This Modern Love by Bloc Party  
_

I stood in the aisle at the drug store in Olympia. It was eleven o'clock at night and the stock boy was looking at me, annoyed. He wanted me to get what I came for and then leave so he could close up the store and go home. I honestly wanted to help him out, but I was very confused at the moment. He kept glancing at me - willing me with his eyes to force me to get a move on – as he unloaded the contents of the cardboard box onto the shelf about eight feet away from me. I could hear the beeping at the cash registers as the cashiers rounded up the remaining customers who were doing last minute errands at closing time on a Wednesday night.

I wish I could help this pimply faced teenager out, but I was at a loss. I was standing in an aisle that I was feeling particularly uncomfortable about. It focused on many womanly products. Like shampoo. I know men used it just the same, but I find it very girly to be shopping for it. Also in this aisle, women's sanitary...usages. Kim had asked me to pick them up for her once before and then I put my foot down after a severely embarrassing experience where the guy at the counter at the convenience store in LaPush eyed me funnily the entire time. And when I finally returned home to Kim, she had snapped at me for picking out the wrong kind of tampons or whatever.

I groaned in frustration. It was bad enough that she had ordered me to go all the way to Olympia, just because she thought the pregnancy tests here would be more accurate. Seriously? There were more choices in a bigger town, she reasoned. There had to have been fifty different pregnancy tests to choose from. What if I picked up the wrong kind and she yelled at me? I couldn't take that tonight. I had a rough day and the last thing I needed was to be pushed out of our bedroom and onto the couch.

A pregnancy test. Could she really be pregnant? I mean, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. For me. I know Kim had her objections. We'd been together for ten years now and married for five. Surely, children were the appropriate next step. Kim had been fretting that we were becoming too boring lately. So this was something to bring to the table, wasn't it?

I know she told me she never wanted children. She had said, _maybe, one day, possibly_ she'd agree to have a child, but as of late she'd been dead set on the no-baby front. When we'd babysit for Sam and Emily's kids she'd always eye the children warily. They weren't exactly threatening and I found it highly amusing how nonchalant she'd try to act around them. Owen and Nora were only six and four, respectively and they weren't exactly dangerous. They were harmless; all they wanted to do was have fun. Of course, Kim would pretend that she was completely cool around children, but I could see the panic in her eyes whenever another member of our pack and their imprint would announce a pregnancy. I think that was why Kim had become so close with Rachel, who had denied the idea of children as well. Paul seemed to be okay with that future.

I, on the other hand, was also okay with it too, I guess. I can't deny that in the early stages of my romance with Kim, I had often pictured little children racing around us when I saw our life together in the later years to come. But when I had brought up this possible plan with her one day, she had frozen and shook her head vehemently. Over the years I had discovered of Kim's phobia of children, and her major distaste at that prospect. She had claimed that she just wanted me all to herself forever and didn't want any interference.

I was twenty-seven now and Kim would also be by the end of this year, and I had grown to the idea of it just being her and I when we grew old together. If what she wanted was a life with no children, then I was happy to oblige to her wishes.

Now, I was in a predicament. When I had come home from work today after a particularly trying afternoon, I was bombarded with a vase being thrown at my head. Kim had yelled at me up and down, hysterically sobbing about how I had knocked her up and how she should have known I would try to pull something like this. I stood there clueless as she ranted and raved to me, not daring to speak aloud.

When I had asked if she went to a doctor she said no. I had tried to delved further into her brain so I could attempt to grasp her announcement of her pregnancy; she said she knew because she was 'late'. I nodded and said I would go to the convenient store only about half a mile from our house and buy her a pregnancy test when she had shouted at me not to. She told me that she'd rather I go to Olympia because she didn't want anyone in our tribe to know that she may be expecting and that the pregnancy tests in Olympia were surely more reliable.

I didn't understand her logic, but I was in no position to question it.

"Hey, buddy! Can I help you?" the teenager had pulled away from his task and advanced to my baffled position in the aisle, staring at the many boxes.

I held out my hand and waved them over the selections. "What's the best one?"

The boy frowned and looked at the wall of shelves. His face turned pink with embarrassment and seemed to now be wishing he never asked. "The most expensive one?"

It seemed logical enough. I scanned the prices and picked up the box. "Okay, great. But, what about this one? It seems promising...Or this one? Yeah! This one shows a smiley face if you're pregnant and a frown if you're not, that seems fitting. Though, I think in my case a smiley face would be appropriate for a negative result...This one is odd, why would it show you a pirate...? Should I just get these six?" I looked at him hopefully. He gave me a blank look and shrugged, turning back to his job.

I glared at the back of his head and decided that all I wanted to do was get the hell out of here. I took the six tests that caught my eye and walked swiftly to the cash. Every other employee was now staring at each customer with indignation as they hurried us out the door so they could all go home. When I was finally brought up to cash, the sullen elderly woman didn't even look at me once. She just barked out the price and I paid her, dread filling my heart. I didn't know what I'd be coming home to.

I walked out into the warm July night, and began my journey home. I got into the car that Jacob had helped me fix up for Kim a couple years ago, and started the engine. As I drove along the near deserted highway, I was surprised to find that I was kinda hoping that the test would be positive. I know it wasn't what Kim wanted, but as long as it accidentally happened anyway, what would it matter if I was a little hopeful? I'd never tell her that. I'd just prepare a speech to say to her in my head. If the test told us she was indeed pregnant, I'd relay words of wisdom and love to her about how it would all be okay and that I loved her very much.

For starters, I could mention that we had been together for a decade and that it wasn't so bad that a baby would be coming along. We weren't exactly teenagers, we had built a life together and we were pretty stable emotionally and especially financially. It wouldn't be a problem at all. Well, money would be a bit tight, but that wasn't what was important. What was important was that I would be with her every step of the way and I loved her deeply and I would love our child more than anything. I would even delegate my responsibilities as diaper-changer if it made her feel better in the slightest.

Yes, this would all work out. Everything will be okay.

I pulled up onto the lawn in front of our house. I grabbed the bag with the tests in them and cautiously walked to our front door. I pulled out my key and opened the door, closing it behind me.

"Kim?" I glance down at my watch and saw that it's almost midnight. Maybe she was sleeping –

"In here!" I rounded the corner and into the living room where I looked down the long room, past the kitchen table to where she was standing in our kitchen with yellow rubber gloves and the entire fridge and its contents pulled out onto the hardwood floor. She was scrubbing away at the inside. "You have no idea how filthy this fridge is! It's disgusting! And a lot of this food has expired! We should clean this more often, at least once a month!" she submerged her head completely and I just saw her lovely bottom sticking out as she worked away at cleaning the refrigerator. She certainly didn't look pregnant. Her body got my sex-drive going and I immediately felt hot.

"Uh, I got the pregnancy tests!"

She emerged and wiped her sweaty forehead and pushed her bangs aside. Her hair was up in a messy pony tail and a few strands of hair framed her face sexily. "I think I'll do all that stuff tomorrow!"

"Babe, technically in ten minutes, it will be tomorrow! You know what you can do tomorrow? Clean the fridge. Come on its late, let's get this over with," I said, placing the bag on the kitchen table and making my way over to my extremely stressed out wife.

She glared at me and pulled off her yellow rubber gloves. "Fine. Did you even get the right one?"

I froze. "Is there a right one?" I ask, hesitantly, watching her face for her reaction.

She stood up and walked over to me. She had left all the food spread out on the kitchen floor. I guess I would be putting everything back. I sighed.

"Please Kim, I tried. Let's go to the bathroom, yes?" I held out the bag and jiggled it in front of her. She did not look amused as she followed me through the living room and up the stairs. Straight ahead was the bathroom and we walked through. I put the bag in the sink and she sat on the toilet, the toilet seat closed.

"What if I'm pregnant?" I heard her quiet voice as I took out all the boxes. Who bought exactly six? Why not five? Or seven? Seven is a lucky number, I should have gotten seven. But what kinda luck was I looking for? Argh, I was so confused!

"Just take the tests first," I said.

"Tests? How many did you get, Jared?" She asked standing up. She now saw, lined up along the edge of the sink on three sides, was six pregnancy tests. "What am I supposed to do with all of these?"

"Test yourself..."

"With _six_?" she picked one up and frowned. "A smiley face if you're pregnant? That's horrible," she looked at it funnily, before ripping open the box. I did the same to the other five, before she had gotten the first one out. "Okay, fine, I'll use them all, go, and I'll call you when I'm...done." I piled them all in her hand and she placed them on the floor beside the toilet.

I nodded slowly and exited, closing the bathroom door behind me. I leaned against the door and waited. I had no idea how to react properly to this situation. If it was positive, should I look happy or sombre? Negative, should I cheer? I guess I would just work off Kim's reaction.

"Okay! Come in." I opened the door to find her with her back faced from the sink, where she had lined up all the pregnancy tests like I had, sans boxes. Her face is contorted in a grimace as she looks at me. "Okay, most of these say that I'll have to wait a couple minutes for a result. But, _this_ one says only thirty seconds and so far, it's been twenty five," she points to the one on the right side, closest to the wall.

"Okay," I say slowly and suddenly my fate is crashing towards me in five seconds and I feel fear, which is a bit unnerving.

"Okay," she agrees. She turns around and picks it up. She looks at the result, and I move in closer glancing over her shoulder to see what it is. "Oh! It's negative! Oh my God, it's negative!" her voice raises high. She looks at me, beaming. "I seriously thought I was pregnant for a moment! This is such a relief. Jared!" she throws her arms around my neck and I'm aware of the fact that the test is pressed up against my skin and Kim had just peed on it.

"Mmhmm," I say, as coolly as possible. Her face falls.

"You want a baby," she states.

"Nope, I'm good, I'm just overwhelmed, is all," I say smiling at her, I lean against the wall and she watches my face carefully.

"Are you sure?" she asks. I nod along and pull her close to me. I kiss her neck and then her lips to show her how fine I am with the results. And I am, really. Sort of. I mean, I can't deny that my heart fell a bit, but when I saw how happy she was with the negative result, I felt better about it. I guess that's just the way imprinting works.

She looks at me warily before smiling; she wasn't able to hold it back. "I guess everyone experiences a pregnancy scare once in a while," she amends, turning back to the sink. She freezes in such a sudden way, that I'm alarmed.

"Kim?" I move toward her and rest my hands on her shoulders which are only up to about my chest. "What is it?" She's staring down at the sink, in shock.

I look down to see that every other pregnancy test appears to be positive. I even see a little smiley face somewhere in the mix. I pull the negative result from her clutched hand and see a sad pirate. I pick up the pirate box and read the back. Kim read it wrong. A sad pirate equalled a pregnancy. A happy pirate told you it was false. I guess pirates weren't big baby people.

"I'm pregnant," her voice is hollow. I don't know what to say, I move around her and look at all the results. Some have little plus signs, some have two stripes and some are grinning away at you. "It could be wrong..."

"But," I start. "All six of them are telling you that you are. Especially the expensive one, I mean, that one has to be the most reliable..."

She shakes her head and examines each one closely as she holds it up to her nose and peers down at them with a daunting expression. She throws each one into the sink, in defeat. She turns to me slowly and I place the pirate test on top of the other ones. I glance down at her to see her looking rather pale.

"You got me pregnant," she accuses, but what's really scary is how calm she looks.

"Not on purpose," I say quickly and I feel like a jerk for saying it. I'm even backing away from her like a coward.

"I don't want to be pregnant, Jared."

"I know that and sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'm just as surprised as you are!" I'm holding up my hands in defence, but now I'm pressed up against the door with no real escape because she's now advancing toward me.

She stops and looks up at me, her eyes are shining and I hope to God she isn't going to cry. Please, do not cry. Kim, don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. I will you not to cry. And, she's crying. Tears are streaming down her face and she lets out a frustrated scream as she begins to sob. She falls to her knees and puts her head in her hands, crying and crying. I slide down the door and sit there with my legs open, I pull her body toward me and she buries her face in my shirt, snivelling and wiping her nose on my t-shirt. Now, weird noises are coming out of her. Ones that are extremely odd and remind me of animal sounds. She heaves and squeaks and groans and moans. It goes on like this for a very long time. All I can do is sit here, rubbing her back, pressed up against the door as she is gripping my shirt and using it as a tissue. Every time I'm about to say something, I stop myself as I think over at how stupid it would sound and how unwanted it was. I idly wonder how many tears one person can hold in a body. Would I be able to cry longer because I was such a big guy? Not that I'd ever test that theory...

It suddenly came to me that maybe she was actually trying to speak to me and those noises were possibly words. I rubbed her back a little more vigorously and she shook in my arms. Taking this as a sign that I hadn't intended, she pulls away, still blubbering and she shakily gets to her feet. I pull myself up and look her over. She's still hunched over as she pushes me aside and exits the bathroom. She goes down the hall to our bedroom. I follow her only to have the door slammed in my face. I exhale loudly and rest my forehead against the door feeling very drained. What a long day.

Did she want me to sleep on the couch? I can still hear her sniffling and heaving, so I knock on the door.

"Wha?" she calls out.

"Can I come in?" I ask. I wait for her to reply and there's nothing. I knock again but she ignores me. I'm really worried about her so I open the door a crack and peer in. She's curled up in a ball in the center of the king sized bed, sleeping. Her eyes are closed, her mouth is open slightly and she's breathing evenly. Her face is all wet and tear-stained. I open the door further and close it behind me. I take off my shoes, slide off my pants so I'm just in my boxers, I strip my shirt off and crawl in above her, so I'm in a weird position.

Over the years I had learned how to sleep more appropriately when with Kim. She still complained about my jostling while sleeping, but she admitted that I had gotten better compared to when we first started sleeping in the same bed. I was always tossing and turning and drooling and snoring. But she had also perfected sleeping through my noises and movements over the years. In fact, she had admitted that she often had trouble sleeping without my snoring to soothe her. I closed my eyes and fell asleep with her hair in my face, my body curled around hers. My feet were dangling off the edge a little, but I didn't mind...

I woke up the next morning to find myself eagle-spread across the bed with Kim nowhere to be found. I smelled eggs and bacon and the rattling of pots and pans down stairs so I figured I knew where she was. I pull myself off the bed and sleepily make my way downstairs, following the sweet smell of breakfast. As I teeter into the living room, I look down the long one big room to see the kitchen occupied by Paul.

"What are you doing here?" I snap. I remembered all the food being on the kitchen floor last night. I wondered who put it all away. Some of it must have expired if it was left out all night...

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!" he replied.

"Is that breakfast for me?" I pass the couch and make my way to the glass kitchen table behind it. I fall into a chair.

"Nope, this is all for me," he piles the eggs and bacon on a plate and sits himself down. For any normal person the amount of food he had could feed about three people. Paul, selfishly, ate away, ignoring me.

"Where's Kim?" I ask, sensing that she wasn't here at all.

"I donno, her and Rachel walked out the door about fifteen minutes ago," Paul said with his mouth full. He said that sentence in a more indecipherable way, but sadly, I knew exactly what he was saying. "What's up with her? She looked like she had no more hope in the world."

"Don't say that," I groaned rubbing my face, feeling stressed already and I hadn't even been awake for five minutes.

"Okay," he said. He finished his breakfast in a record time and threw his plate in the sink. "You not going to work today?" Paul asked.

I looked at the time only to find that I was half an hour late. "Aw shit," I went to the door across from the table; I opened the door and inside was our laundry room. It wasn't big but a washer and dryer were squeezed in there. There was a pile of folded clothes on top of the dryer and I rifled through them to find a pair of pants and tee.

I emerged fully clothed just in time for Kim and Rachel to enter the house.

"Hey," I said to Kim, zipping up my fly. She eyed me before passing me and going to the bathroom.

"She didn't want kids, Jared," Rachel said to me. I glared at her.

"Oh, really? I didn't get that after she cried through half the night," I snapped at her for interfering.

"Kim's pregnant?" Paul asked. Rachel sat on his lap on the couch.

"Look, I gotta go to work. Are you staying with her for the rest of the day?" I asked Rachel, impatiently. I went into the fridge to get my lunch only to remember I hadn't made myself one. I groaned for being already late, so I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table and bit into, heading for the door.

"No, we're leaving soon," Rachel said.

"Fine. Bye, Kim!" I called out. I waited for a bit to see if she would respond.

I heard a little, faint, "bye," and left the house feeling quite miserable. What a disaster. I hated how upset she was. I decided to walk to work as I chewed down on the apple. It was gone too fast and I was still starving. Work was only about a mile away and with my long legs I got there in less than ten minutes.

"You're late!" Embry called out from under a car.

A few years ago we had opened up a garage. It was mostly Embry and Quil's but I started work with them the day it opened. We got a lot of business from the surrounding towns since we were quite affordable, quick and thorough. I had learned a lot about cars over the years and had become quite skilled. I still wasn't as great as Jake was, but I was pretty decent. I mostly worked in the small office and did the bills, towing, charging and ordering of parts. It was a fine job and I worked about five days a week. Embry probably worked more than any of us. Quil had Claire, who he took care of most of the time and I had a wife so we weren't able to put it in as much time as Embry. I only put in about eight hours a day and was home by five, usually. The business was doing fairly well for itself.

About a couple times a week Jacob came down to help out and earn some money for him. He, Embry and Quil were still morphing into wolves so they still did patrolling. Over the years, Sam, Paul and I had stopped our transforming as we grew older with our wives. I hadn't being a wolf in almost six months. It was weird, but oddly enough I still had the extra senses that came with being a wolf. Sam had stopped transforming first and he said eventually that would all go away. I missed being a wolf sometimes but for the most part it was a bit of a relief. Our two packs were still like brothers which was a nice thing. I often wondered about the tribe's safety in the future, but more young boys were turning into wolves as the years went on. I didn't know the newer ones as much, and Quil still claimed that the new kids didn't just click the same way we had all those years ago and how they all missed the pack being the way it was.

But, whereas Jacob would be living forever, the other guys were just holding off until they found their imprint. Quil was waiting for Claire and he still had quite a while before their age would become an issue.

I had Kim and we were moving on to our right ages. I hadn't noticed that much of a difference since I stopped transforming about two years ago with myself. I hadn't aged drastically at all. I guess in a few years I would see my body start to change, but as of right now I was still pretty much the same.

"How's today looking?" I called out as I made my way to the office, leaving the door open so I could hear a reply.

"Nowhere near as busy as yesterday," Quil replied. Music was blaring from the stereo we kept. It was all Embry's music and it was good for working on cars.

"Good," I mutter to myself and get to work.

I hoped today at work would pass by quickly because I was too anxious thinking about Kim. When I got home we'd have to sit and discuss what we planned on doing. I really hoped she would feel better about this. I hated the friction it was causing between us. I just wanted us to be a happy family.

**R/R!!**


	2. The Uneaten Spaghetti

**AN: Thank you for the reviews I'm so pleased with them all. I'm glad a lot of you are interested in seeing what happens next. I'm just as excited to get to it. I don't even know what happens next, but it's always been that way for me when I write from Jared's POV, because he also really doesn't know what's going on himself. As I was writing this I realize how I kept writing all the woman so...bitchy. Eek! I'm gonna try and fix that right away, but it's kinda hard when I'm writing about pregnant hormonal women. Maybe I'm just in a bitchy mood myself? Anyways, this chapter has a LEMON. It's not very explicit if I do say so myself, but it's a warning of caution to those who do not like them. This is rated M, remember, so this kinda business shouldn't be such a shock. I'm not even sure if I should keep this story rated M, sigh, we will see.**

**READ AND REVIEW!!!!**

Chapter 2: The Uneaten Spaghetti

_I watch you fast asleep,  
All I fear means nothing  
In you and I  
there's a new land,  
Angels in flight  
My sanctuary.  
- Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru_

"I'll see you tomorrow!" I announce to Embry who is still working. He nodded to me and said goodnight. I headed outside at a little bit after six. I was late this morning so I decided to work late. My stomach was growling loudly, I had to beg food off of Quil who had quite a bit stocked up in the fridge we had at the garage. He had reluctantly agreed, but he still wasn't all that generous.

Every step I took closer to home, my heart felt heavier. It was an odd and very unpleasant sensation because all I could feel was this anxious dread. I think that was the only way to describe it. My palms were getting sweaty so I wiped them on my jeans trying to get them dry again. I was whistling, trying to calm myself down, but was finding it impossible. Of course there was the regular feeling of anxiousness about seeing Kim again. I hated being apart from her and hated even more that she was upset with me. But still, I did not feel good about going home.

As I walked down the street, the house was getting closer and closer and it looked very intimidating for reasons unknown to me. What did I have to be scared of? What was so wrong about getting your wife pregnant? Some woman would kill to be with child and Kim was acting as if it was the end of the world. It wasn't it - was only the beginning. I just had to make her see that.

I entered through my front door to find the lights off and music playing softly. I rounded the wall and found candles everywhere that had a flat service. This had to be a safety hazard. Good thing I wasn't a fireman. Kim was at the stove cooking something that smelled wonderful. My stomach lurched at the prospect of food in my belly.

Kim was dressed up in a lovely black dress. That's all I could say to do it justice. She was also wearing black heels that made her legs look amazing. I wasn't good at describing every detail of my wife's attire only that it made me think of sex. With her.

I think if we went straight to _that_, I would be totally fine without dinner.

She looked beautiful. What made her even sexier was the fact that she was making me dinner. Oh, God.

"What's this?" I ask, walking in carefully, aware of the fact that landmines could be hidden anywhere in this house.

"Dinner," she said, grinning, although, it looked very fake, this made my heart jump slightly. Oh, please, don't cry. Her eyes looked shiny! I hoped that maybe it was just the candles that made her eyes do that flicker thing.

"Yeah?" I ask. I sit down at the table, waiting for the food. She puts the spaghetti pasta onto a plate and pours the tomato sauce on top. Kim sure could cook. She walked over and placed it in front of me. She gets herself a plate and sits down on the other side of the table.

I dive into the food before another word could be said. Halfway through my meal, twenty seconds later, I look up at her to see that she hasn't touched her food at all. I sprinkle more graded cheese onto the spaghetti and give her a curious look.

"You feelin' better?" I ask, putting a forkful in my mouth.

"Yep, you bet," she was staring at her spaghetti, looking rather shy. The candles were bringing a nice ambience and she looked stunning. I couldn't help but forget about my food as I stared at her in wonder. She glanced up and a flush reached her cheeks. "Stop," she muttered, embarrassed by my attention. I found it endearing that she was still taken aback by how much I loved her. I was constantly in awe of her and she just didn't seem to understand it. "I want to apologize for how I was last night. I didn't realize how much of a jerk I was until I found your shirt this morning that was covered in tear stains. I was horrible."

I shrug. "You were emotional. I get it," I amend. But as I see her face, I notice that wasn't the right thing to say. I don't know what had caused her to tick but her face had turned from bashful to irritated.

"No, I wasn't just _emotional_," her voice took a tone that was so unlike Kim that it caught me off guard. "I was – it was _traumatizing_. I hadn't expected it! I mean, I'm having a child, Jared! Don't you get how – how, off-putting that is?" she snaps.

"_We're _having a child," I correct. Again, this comment is not well liked by my wife. "I'd hardly call it traumatic either. You're just being dramatic." I quickly take a bite of my food and decide to focus on that instead of her look of shock that she was directing to me.

"I –I," she struggled to find words.

"This isn't about you anymore, Kim. It's about you and me and that baby. You can't be selfish in this situation. I love you and just want us to be happy. Okay?" I say in between bites.

She was silent for a while and I looked up to see her crying. Oh, fuck. "You don't get it, Jared. You just don't get it," she stood up, leaving her plate of food uneaten and ran up the stairs.

I sat there, staring at the spot where she had just sat and wondered when I had fucked up this night. I guess, I was being a bit insensitive, but I was getting frustrated. I didn't mean to take it out on her and make her feel bad. Shit, that was the last thing I wanted to do. The door slammed upstairs.

Now, what could I do to make this right? What didn't I get? My annoyance was increasing with each passing second. How in the fuck was I supposed to know how she was feeling if she wasn't telling me?

I stood up and raced up the stairs, taking them four at a time. I was marching through our bedroom door before she could stop me. She sat on the bed clutching a pillow close to her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy and she stared at me, still crying away.

"Okay! Listen here...missy." Already starting off badly, Jared. "You can't just say the things you're saying without any explanation whatsoever. No, I _don't_ get it. I don't understand you. I'm a guy; I can't read signs or signals. I need it spelled out to me. Sometimes even yelled at me. I don't get any of this and if you're nervous about having a baby, I am too. Don't go thinking that you're alone in all of this. You're gonna smarten up and tell me what's going on," my lustre started to fade near the end there. "Now." I watch as her face crumples and she begins sobbing into the pillow.

"I'm so sorry," she cried. She gripped the pillow harder and I crawled on the bed beside her. I held her close and she kept saying things like, "I'm such a bitch!" "I'm sorry!" "I love you!" I wasn't expecting this sort of reaction...not that I knew what to expect. Was it hormones that were making her act this way?

I held her close and let her cry until finally she began to sit up and stare at me, the pillow still safely in her lap. She looked so pretty even after all that crying. I lean in and kiss her, unable to help myself. She laughs slightly and sniffs. I hand her a tissue and she wipes at her eyes. She takes off her heels and tosses them on the floor before looking at me seriously.

"I have to tell you something," she said slowly. I nodded, though I felt nervous for what she might say. She was looking pretty solemn and that made me panic internally.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead, I'm listening," I say nodding along, trying to look supportive and understanding. I hope I was pulling it off.

"This isn't the first time I've been pregnant," she says slowly. In between my nodding and concentration on looking sympathetic, her words didn't settle in for a few minutes.

"Wait...What do you mean?" Does she mean...I think I would know if she was pregnant. Or not. Was I really such an inattentive husband that I couldn't even tell when my imprint was pregnant? Or maybe, it was before me. No, she lost her virginity to me. I remember that day perfectly. Perhaps she lied...My heart falls and I feel like my brain has just been turned to mush. "Was there someone else?" My voice strains over the words. No. No, that can't be true. There has to be some logical explanation to this. I gasp internally as it all crashes around me. What was that stupid boyfriend of hers in high school? Tom? Ted? Theo. THEO!

"NO!" she cries. I relax at her outburst for several reasons: 1. There has only ever been me; 2. I didn't have to kill Theo; 3. Plotting a death is a lot more complicated than I ever thought. In those few seconds where I actually thought there was another guy, I had no idea where to start when it came to killing successfully and secretly. "Absolutely not! But, when we were young...we had only been having sex for about three months," she looks apologetic. "I got pregnant."

I felt like such an idiot for asking this, but I had to, "Did you give it up for adoption?"

"Jared!" she sounds exhausted. She smiles at me and kisses my nose. "I love you. No, honey, I lost the baby. I didn't even know I was pregnant. I just went to the doctors and he told me I lost a baby I had no idea I had. I never told you because I thought there was no point," she caresses my cheek as I absorb all this new information.

"Where was I during all of this?" I ask, perplexed.

"We hadn't been together very long and we had just started this new aspect to our relationship. It was so new to me and the fact that I had been pregnant and didn't know it, freaked me out! I just couldn't handle it. I didn't want to tell you because...I didn't want to see your reaction. I don't know. It was stupid and selfish of me to keep it from you, but I was only sixteen. I had no idea what the hell I was doing with anything. But, it hurt me. I just never wanted to feel that kind of pain again."

She looked at me in such a vulnerable way, that my heart nearly broke that she had gone through so much pain and I was completely unaware. I hated myself.

I reach over and grab her hand. "It'll be different this time, Kim. You gotta see that," I try to say in my nicest tone of voice.

"I don't want kids," she says. I sigh. "But, we're having this baby." And I realized that was something I was unsure of. I look at her feeling more confused. I really didn't understand woman.

I lean in and kiss her, I pull away to see her smiling the sweetest smile. I kiss her once more before pushing her back onto the bed. Her hair is covering the pillow and I smirk evilly as I slide my hand from her knee and up her thigh, where I rest it under her bottom. I crawl over her body and lift up her dress. It comes to a stop just under her breasts. Her flat stomach is showing. I rest my head on it and examine it from a different position. I saw that it was slightly protruding.

"What are you doing?" I hear her curious voice. I smile and kiss her stomach a few times.

"There's a baby in here," I say, dumbfounded. I really don't believe it. "I mean, this little bump can't even be a food baby. You didn't eat your dinner," I kiss her belly button and let my tongue slide out of my mouth. She screams. Her belly button is very sensitive. "Are we okay?" I ask her.

She hesitates and watches me caress her stomach, tracing patterns. "Yeah, I guess we are." I didn't bother to pick at her words. I'll just let them be. "My boobs have gotten bigger," her voice is small. But, man, do I hear those words.

Why hadn't I noticed that? I looked up and pulled off her dress before she could protest. Yes, yes they have gotten bigger. I'm sure I would have noticed that. "Wow," I mutter. I look over her new breasts, wondering if this was all really mine. Well, obviously I had noticed them, but I hadn't really _noticed_ them. I squeeze them and caress them. I lift her body up and undo her bra expertly. I've done this a thousand times before. She touches my cheek and lifts a leg up and wraps it around my waist. Uh, she's giving me permission.

I pull away slightly and rip my shirt off. I can't do this fast enough. God, I hadn't realized how bad I wanted her as I undo my belt buckle and toss it to the ground. She giggles at my eagerness, I smile in return. She rests her leg and waits for me to kick my pants off. Once their gone and it's just me, I slide down her panties and discard them.

I linger over her body and kiss her on the lips before attaching my mouth to her breasts, revelling in these new companions of mine. She grips at my hair and I groan at the jolt it sends through my body. She moans and I continue down the path that I know she loves. I knew how to get her riling in all the right and wrong ways. She wrapped her leg around my waist, once again, moving on to what was to come, urging me to continue and hurry up. Tonight, she was impatient.

She decided to take control as she pushed me to the side and rolled on top of me, straddling my waist. She lowered herself onto me and began to rock. Like every other time I had been with Kim, the amount of love and desire that rose inside of me always left me breathless. I was never quite sure how I could get a grip of myself when we were together, but somehow I always did. I held onto her soft waist tightly and guided her into a rhythm that was just perfect.

I could feel my release threatening to arise before we were done. I held on and groaned out loud as she rode me hard. She kept moaning a mantra that I was familiar with; it made it harder to concentrate on not relieving myself and letting the orgasm take control. I thrust upwards and she squeals. I need her to finish because it was beginning to be too much. Her eyes were focused on me, even when she leans forward and sucks on my neck.

I let my one hand slide down and help me with her orgasm. I put it between our two joining parts, she gasps in shock and pleasure. I teased her with my hand and pretty soon I could feel her beginning to lose control. As she was getting closer, I flipped her over and drove in once more, hard. She let out a loud sigh that went high as she writhed below me and I also let go, shuddering. She was breathing heavily as she began to calm down and I fell on top of her, unable to hold myself up anymore.

I roll off her quicker then I normally would, when I remember that there's a baby in her. I panic, looking down at her. She has a satisfied smile on her face.

"Are you okay?" I ask, quickly. I put a hand to her stomach and rub circles with my palm.

"Yeah," she breathes out.

"Is the baby okay?" I ask. I kiss her stomach.

She gives me a weird look. "Uh, yeah."

"How do you know? Do you feel anything weird? I think I may have gone a bit too rough. What about when I was on top of you?" The questions all come out in a rush as I begin to panic. I'm a big guy and heavy as hell, I could kill our baby. That thought struck me as such mortifying – I would never be the cause of our baby's death. I would never see my baby die. Dammit, I was gonna make sure that I would die first. Just like Kim. I would be the one dying first 'cause I couldn't handle living without her or the baby.

"Jared, I'm fine. Don't worry." She gave me an odd look and kissed my cheek. "Seriously, couples who are expecting have sex all the time. I promise you."

I gave her a doubtful look as all the horrible possibilities of what could be, if I have sex with her, were the only things I could think of right now.

"I don't want you to feel that pain of losing another kid," I say.

Her eyes tighten and she shakes her head. "Let's get some sleep. I'm exhausted." She closes her eyes and I pull up the covers, crawling under them with her. I pull her close to me and I put an arm under her neck. She's asleep almost instantly and I follow suit.

--

A week later, we were sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office. My foot was tapping impatiently as I looked at all the other people sitting, awaiting their appointment. We'd been here for twenty minutes. I glance at the clock above the receptionist's desk. Kim was flipping through some fashion magazine, completely calm and I envied her for that. I couldn't get my heart to slow down. I had no idea why I was so nervous, but I sure as hell was.

"It's your fault for wanting us to be here an hour early for our appointment," Kim tuts, flipping to the next page of her reading material.

"We're not an _hour_ early," I correct. She looks up from reading and gives me an 'are you kidding?' look.

She puts her hand on my knee to stop it from jiggling. "You have got to calm down, Jared. I can't handle you being all spazzy. It's freaking me out and I have no reason to be freaked out. You're so neurotic," she mumbles the last part and diverts her attention to the magazine once again.

"Right. Sorry," I say. But I can't stop the shaking leg. It won't stop. Stop, dammit. How the hell did Sam go through all of this so...cool? I remember Emily as being the nervous one and Sam would have to help her relax all the time. Emily would suddenly burst out how she forgot something for their soon-to-be baby and Sam would just shush her and say he would take care of it. Why couldn't I be like that? Frustrated with myself, I stood up abruptly, knocking the chair back onto the ground. Everyone looked up and glared at me because of the commotion it caused. It was just so quiet in here.

"Jared, what are you doing?" Kim asked. I looked down at her and she gave me a bewildered gaze.

"I gotta get some fresh air," I say, darting out of that God forsaken waiting room. I hated that place. I don't know how I'll be able to make regular visits to this place.

Once I was outside I breathed in deeply letting that fresh air fill my senses. Why was I such a nervous wreck? I rub my face and hold a hand over my eyes as I begin to pace back and forth. Okay, as soon as I walk back into that office I'll have a better hold of myself. I just _had_ to. There was nothing to worry about. Why was I worrying?

I saw a man and woman make their way out of the car that they just pulled up in and walk towards the hospital doors. I saw that she was pregnant. He looked completely smiley, at ease. As they got closer I decided I needed to know what his secret was, or I'd go crazy.

"Hey," I said. The guy nodded and the woman smiled. "Can I ask you a question?" I blurted out before they could enter the building.

The man gave me a wary look and the wife took a step back. Did I look threatening? At six foot four and a half, and mostly made of muscle, yes, Jared, you looked threatening.

"It's just a quick question," I say. "My wife is expecting, as well, and I'm just wondering how you're staying so calm?" I ask the guy.

His wife lets out a delighted laugh and grabs a hold of her husbands hand, smiling up proudly. The man hesitates, but returns a smile.

"Uh, a lot of sleep?" he says. He questions his answer. What? His wife's smile fades. This was not the answer she had hoped. I give the guy a reluctant look. That's a crap answer. Maybe he wasn't as calm as he appeared.

"'A lot of sleep?'" His wife repeated in a dangerous tone. The guy turned to face her gradually.

I wince. I should not have interfered. "You know what, just forget it. I'm good. That's great advice." I really try to smooth things over because the wife looks like she's going to explode. The husband sees this too and mentally I can see him kicking himself...and probably me too.

"'Great advice?'" she turns on me. "I hope you smarten up and treat your wife like a queen while she's going through this! You think this is all pleasant? And with him, lazying about, not interested in me! I know I'm ugly and _fat_!" She is yelling at the both of us. I take a few steps back and the husband turns to me with a furious glare. I want Kim. I really really want Kim, right now. Not this crazy lady.

"Honey, you're not fat or ugly, you're beautiful," the husband attempts.

"Just, shut up! Let's get this fucking appointment over with!" she storms into the building leaving her husband behind. He gives me a hateful stare before following his wife inside. I hope to God she doesn't have the same doctor as us.

I wait a few more minutes before entering the building once again, heading back to the doctor's office. Once I get there, I realize Kim isn't there anymore. All our stuff is gone. Did they call her in for the appointment? I run to the desk and people stare at me as my feet hit loudly and flatly on the ground.

"Where's my wife?" I snap at the receptionist.

"She went in for her appointment already," she replies. "Right through those doors, sir." I go through the door to the right and go down a hall. There's many other doors to choose from. Which one is it?

I hear Kim's voice and follow it. I open the door and my wife is getting changed into one of those hospital gowns.

"Jared, where were you?"

"Is it over?" I ask, going to her. I decide to pull her pants off for her. "Are you okay? I'm sorry!"

"Stop it, it's fine," she said and I hold out the gown for her to put her arms through the holes. She lets out a shaky breath and sits on the weird chair thingy. She puts her feet in these two holders on the side and her legs are wide open. I glance down.

"That's weird," I say, gazing thoughtfully at her from this angle.

"Get over to my head," she snaps, closing her knees briefly. I stand by her head and we wait for the doctor to enter.

"Are you nervous?" I ask her. She looks up at me and I can see that she is; she nods. I kiss her forehead, pushing her bangs back, petting her hair.

The door opens and the doctor comes in. This is our doctor? He's a man probably in his early thirties, and even I notice that he's good looking. He smiles one of those dazzling teeth-commercial smiles, and holds out his hand to shake my own. I grip it tightly and he winces slightly.

"I'm Dr. Madden, it's nice to finally meet you, Jared. Kim's told me all about you. Now, I understand you believe to be pregnant," his voice is all smooth and doctor-like, as if he's on a TV show or something.

"No, she _is_ pregnant. The pirate was sad and everything." I realize how stupid that is once it leaves my mouth and I can't take it back. Kim smiles weakly and grabs my hand, squeezing it.

"Okay, whatever that means," he laughs and starts his work. He gets out this long thing that reminds me of a dick and squirts jelly on it. Jealousy flares inside of me when I realize that he'll be sticking that up Kim's – she grabs my hand tightly once it's inside and looks at me, I look back as non-neurotic as possible.

"Cold," Kim murmurs. I brush her cheek softly, trying to make her relax.

"Huh, yeah, there it is." He points to the screen, or ultra-sound and I see a weird shape in a black and white patchy-shadow thing. How can _that_be a baby? It felt so...unreal and impersonable. I look down at Kim to see if she is feeling anything at all. She looks just as confused as me, unimpressed.

"You're definitely pregnant. From what I can tell you're probably about nine weeks," he says. "Do you want a picture of that?"

Kim looks up at me, wondering if we should get one.

"Sure," I say. The doctor nods and smiles. He plays around with the machine and stands up saying he'll be right back. He exits the room and it's silent with just me and Kim.

"So, I guess it's official," she says. That was my baby? That's it? I wasn't that impressed.

I nod, the silence continues. "Is that long dicky thing still up your –"

"No!" she protests, laughing lightly.

"Really? I didn't see it come out," I mutter, thinking it over. Nope, I definitely didn't see him pulling it out. I move away from her head and she closes her knees. I look up under her gown and try to pry her legs apart.

"Jared! Stop!" she giggles and tries to push me away with her foot. "Jared!" I pull her legs apart and she's laughing away. I inspect her under the robe when the doctor comes in.

I freeze and turn around. The doctor gives me an odd look, giving me a weak smile. I walk away and stand by my wife's head again, who has a hand to her face and is blushing. I hang my head in shame.

"I don't wanna know," the Dr. Madden says. Good plan there, Doc. "Well, Kim, let's see if we can try and determine your due date."

She sits up, and puts her feet down, legs together. The doctor sits on a swivel chair and I move up closer.

"When was the beginning of your last menstrual cycle?" he asks, looking at a clipboard of papers in his hand, with a pen in the other.

"May 16th," she says. She gives me a nervous smile.

"How long is your menstrual cycle?"

"About twenty-eight days," she replies.

He nods and looks down, writing away. It's silent for a while and finally he speaks. "Okay, I'm going to say that your due date is...February 16th," he looks up and grins. "Congratulations."

"February?" I repeat.

"February," he nods. "Now, here is what you're gonna have to do."

He talked to us for another ten minutes, giving us pamphlets of stuff that we need, like vitamins. Finally when we were given all the information and we had a date for our next appointment, we left the office and the hospital all together. We didn't say anything as we got into the car and I began to drive us home.

"So, February 16th," I said, slowly.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking out at the road straight ahead of us. I kept alternating my gaze from her to the road.

"I'll be twenty-eight by then," I say thoughtfully.

"Yeah and I'll be twenty-seven," she smiles slightly.

"We're born the same year, but we're eleven months apart. I'm a January baby and you're a December baby."

"I know," she says. She finally looks over to me. "It's too soon."

"It's still seven months away," I say.

"That's not enough time, Jared! We have to buy _so_ much and read all those baby-parenting books. We have to get a crib, a stroller, a car-seat, a highchair, a changing table, clothes, toys –"

"We can have one of those party things where people give us baby presents. Hey, if we invite the Cullen's then we can get expensive presents –"

"Why would we invited the Cullens?" she asked.

"Well, we'd invite Jake, who'll bring Nessie, who'll bring us a nice gift."

"We don't need a nice gift," she says. "I'm fine with whatever anyone gets us...and yes, we'll have one of those parties, we need all the gifts we can get. Emily has gotten some sweet presents for her babies over the years." Kim looked at me. "You know, I was just as nervous as you were this morning. I just wasn't jiggling my leg like a mad man."

I nod. "I'm glad you told me that. I thought I was alone."

She leans in toward me. "Never." I kiss her quickly on the head, as I drive us home.

**R/R!!**


	3. The Pink Scrubs

**AN: Wow, the reviews I'm receiving for this story are incredible. Please, keep them coming! I'm starting back at school, so I don't know when I'll update again, hopefully soon. This chapter started off with a little gag and turned into what it is. I love having no idea where I'm going with this story for each chapter and then it comes to me as I'm writing. It's so great. I love writing Jared and Kim stories! THANK YOU AND READ AND REVIEW!!**

Chapter 3: The Pink Scrubs

_Look at those buggers who are looting the crash site  
taking the ring off your sweet little finger  
that i gave to you, when we got married  
you're under water now, you're getting back to where you came from  
no stealing of your beauty that could naturally flow  
from the center of all that you are,  
you're beauty must be rubbing off on me.  
- Your Beauty Must Be Rubbing Off by Hawksley Workman_

"Argh! My shoes don't fit!" I hear my wife's cry downstairs. I'm in the washroom, shaving, when I hear her frustration emanated throughout the house. I hear her stomping up the stairs and the bathroom door is flung open. I look at her frustrated face, feeling sorry for her. She wasn't adapting too well to her changing body. It had been almost six weeks since we found out about her pregnancy and a nice small bump was already visible, I always felt like grinning like an idiot whenever I saw it.

During her outburst into the bathroom, I had cut myself shaving. I roll my eyes at myself for being so careless.

"Jared!" she walks over to me holding out her shoes. They're strappy heels that I rather quite like when she's wearing them. Her eyes are on the verge of tearing up. She cries a lot since being pregnant. At first I found it unnerving and now I saw it as an unavoidable occurrence that I had gotten used to. I can't remember more than three occasions when I had seen Kim cry before in the ten years we'd been together. "I love these shoes."

"I know you do, baby."

"I can't get my feet in them."

"I'm sorry about that –"

"I _love_ these shoes, Jared."

I look at her helplessly. I turn back to the mirror, continuing my shaving. I have no idea what to say to her. "I wish I could do something about that..." I trail off and her face drops, obviously she had been wishing for that too. She walks over to the little step that led to our bath and shower - just off from our sink and toilet - and sits down, with her chin in her palm that was resting on her knee.

"I'm hungry," she says.

"Okay, what do you want?"

"I was gonna go to the store and get it myself," she states.

"Don't worry about that, I'll get it for you. What do you want?" I say, finishing up my shaving. The cut on my face has already healed up. I still got those speedy healing powers. Well, for little scratches like these at least.

"I feel bad...after last night."

Last night at three o'clock in the morning, I had been woken up by my wife shaking me back and forth. I opened my eyes; alarmed that something might be wrong. I found her staring at me guiltily.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I can't sleep."

I squinted at her in the dark. "Uh, okay. Night, night," I kissed my hand, then pressed it to her cheek, falling back onto the pillows, ready to continue my sleeping. She shook me again.

"I was thinking about food. Then I realized that I just _had_ to have a Big Mac."

"Are you kidding me?" I groan. No, please let me sleep. We lived nowhere near a McDonalds.

She kissed my lips. "Sorry," she repeated. I opened my eyes, staring at her face in the dark, she was almost a shadow.

I sighed, whipping off the sheets, as I got out of bed. I shuffled to the door, opened it, then looked back at Kim, who was sitting up, giving me a hopeful look. I groaned once again and descended down the stairs, shoved my feet in some shoes, left the house in the middle of the night, climbed into the car, started the engine and embarked to the closest McDonald's I knew – an hour away, at three o'clock in the morning.

I returned two hours later, to find her fast asleep. When she woke up, she no longer wanted a Big Mac.

"What am I going to wear now?" she grumbles, sitting on the toilet seat.

I clean off my face, turn to her, clueless. "You can borrow my shoes," I try, only to have her shoe thrown at my head. I walk over to her, kneel by her feet and begin to massage them. She tilts her head back appreciatively. "Or, you can forget about going to Seattle all together."

"No, I'm excited. Rachel and I will be switching drivers every time we have to stop for gas," she says. "We were going to look at baby stuff, along with maternity clothes."

"Hmm, what time will you be home tonight?" I have to get to work soon. Maybe, I'll work late instead of staying here waiting for her to come home.

"We'll be having dinner at about five, so probably nine-ish," she puts her hand in my hair. She didn't want to stay overnight because she wanted to sleep in her own bed. It was kinda crazy to just spend one day in Seattle, considering it was about four hours away. What a nuisance, I think.

"How's the weather looking in Seattle?"

"Good, I think."

"You didn't check?"

"Yeah, I did, a few days ago."

"The weather could have changed you know," I remark.

"What's a little rain when we live in the Olympic Peninsula?"

"Kim."

"Help me up." I yank her to her feet and she leaves me in the bathroom. I watch her go down the stairs, planning on searching for other shoes to wear.

"Why are you guys just going for the day?" I call down the stairs. I've asked this a few times, but it just worries me that she'll be driving home so late.

"Because we'll miss you too much," she says in a mocking tone. I roll my eyes and head down the stairs.

"But, you're up so early. It's six, Kim," I say.

"You look tired," she says.

"That's because someone woke me up at three," I say bitterly. She grins at me toothily.

"Sorry."

"You said that already." I open the fridge and begin to make my lunch for the day. Kim sits at the table where the Big Mac sat in the bag. She peered into it and made a face of disgust.

"That smell makes my stomach churn," she pushed the bag away from her and I wondered how I would be able to handle these cravings for the next six months, because right now, I didn't think I could deal with this stress.

I buttered the bread that would help make my sandwich when I heard a car horn beep. Kim stood up and kissed my cheek.

"I'll call you later, okay?" she said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. "Bye."

"Love you," I said just before she closed the door. I exhaled as I heard the car drive off with my wife in it. I finished three sandwiches, placing them in a brown paper bag. I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was almost seven. I grabbed my lunch, heading outside to work.

When I got to the garage, I found Claire sitting on top of a car we acquired yesterday, with Quil working on something under the hood.

"Hey Claire, how are you?" She beamed at me, kicking her legs out; it hit the car window and made an unpleasant, hollow thump. She winced.

"Sorry," she called out to Quil, who was laughing. "I'm good. I heard Kim's pregnant. That's so cool!" she said to me.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," I agreed, smiling at the thirteen year old girl. "So, you spending a nice boring day with Quil here today?" I ask, leaning against the car, next to her.

"It won't be boring. I like hanging around here with you guys," she said. I nod sceptically.

"Yeah? You're the only one, you won't see Kim or Nessie here at all," I say, stepping away and moving to the back office.

"Well, _I _like it here," she announced. "Hey, Quil and Embry said they'd show me some of their cliff diving. Will you come to, Jared?"

Quil looked up from under the hood. "Yeah, you should come. For old times' sake. Maybe we can get Jake to stop by."

I thought it over, it was better than working late. "Sure, I'll be there," I winked at Claire and headed into the office, closing the door behind me.

Later, around five o'clock, Embry tapped on the door before opening it. "We're heading to the cliffs now," he said, grinning. I jumped up and gladly followed the way to his car. We all piled into the car, with me in the passenger seat and Quil and Claire up in the back. Claire was giggling away, jumping in her seat with excitement. Quil just stared at her, mesmerized by her reaction. I smirked and nudged Embry, to take a look in the back. Embry rolled his eyes, before turning back to the road.

It was raining here in LaPush, which reminded me of the weather in Seattle for Kim. I wondered if she was okay. Strangely, just as I had thought that, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I reached in and pulled it out to see Kim calling me. I anxiously opened up the phone, pressing it to my ear.

"Hey," I said.

"Uh, Jared," her beautiful voice came through all crackly. Bad reception. "There's a little problem."

Oh, fuck. Be still my heart, because everything felt like it got caught in my throat. "A good one or bad one?" I asked. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to speak. I couldn't have my thoughts all mixed in with my anxiety and impatience. Right now, I was having a mild heart attack because of her 'little problem.'

"It's not a big deal, so calm down. It's just sort of hailing here in Seattle, so we're gonna try and get a hotel for the night. I can't drive, I don't feel good about that idea and neither does Rachel. Okay?" I think that's what she said. She could have said hailing or sailing. And when she said drive, it easily could have been dive. Also, I hope she said hotel because if she was planning on staying in a motel, that wouldn't make me feel at ease at all. The reception was so bad, I kept hearing cracking noises over her voice and even in the background when she didn't speak.

"You're staying the night in Seattle?" I confirmed.

"Yeah, it's impossible to get out. So, I'll say goodnight to you now. –bye, I lov –" her voice got cut off, just when she was about to tell me she loved me. The line went dead and I growled at the stupid phone. I shut it, opened it again and dialed her number. She didn't answer; the call went straight to voicemail. I tried again. And again. And again. And again.

I didn't realize we had already made it to the cliffs, when Quil knocked on the window and I could already see Embry and Claire making their way over to the cliffs. I sighed, realizing that there was no way I could get a hold of her now. So, I climbed out of the car, following Quil, to the cliffs.

Claire was peering over the rocks, with Embry by her side.

"Hey! Be careful Claire Bear," Quil came up behind her, grabbed her by the waist, and swung her around so she would be behind him.

"I'm fine! Who's going first?" Claire asked, looking at us excitedly. Claire had come to the garage without a rain jacket, so Quil made her wear one that was his. It looked so big and ridiculous on her, but she was the only one who had a hood. I shivered, slightly. Damn, I remembered when I could go out in this kind of weather and feel perfectly warm.

"I'll go," Embry said and before we could really register this, he ran and jumped off the cliff. Claire watched him with her eyes wide and when he finally hit the water, she let out a short scream.

"There's rocks at the bottom?" she asked, peering down carefully. Embry surface laughing and whooping. He made his way to the rocks and climbed back up.

"Well, yeah, but they won't hurt us," Quil said, grinning at her.

Suddenly, I felt dangerous. I can't exactly describe it, but I _really_ wanted to jump off. Like, I had something to prove. I wasn't scared about Kim, I wasn't cold and I wasn't fazed about the rocks at the bottom. And I definitely wasn't thinking that I was no longer a werewolf with powers.

So, I jumped off the cliff, doing a few flips in the air, crashed into the water, and hit a rock at the bottom. The way my leg made an impact with a rock, was shocking. I felt it snap, glancing down I saw my bone protruding from my skin, and damn did it fucking hurt. I gasped underwater and swallowed a whole bunch of water into my lungs. I began to cough. The current was strong and it was hard to kick out my leg. I struggled to the surface just using my arms, the pain excruciating. I can't believe that just happened. I had hit these rocks before, feeling nothing. The sudden realization that I was no longer invincible, left me staggered, however I couldn't let that cripple me when I was trying to make it to the surface. I was desperate for air, so when my head made it out of the water, I inhaled sharply, the pain blinding. I blinked and held myself above the water with my arms.

"Jared! Are you okay?" Claire called down.

"Jared?" Quil shouted.

Hold on a minute. I couldn't move because it fucking hurt like nobody's business. I couldn't concentrate on their words. I was pretty sure my leg was on fire and I wanted nothing more than to just rip it out of my socket and get it over with. Why wasn't it healing? Sam told me these after affects of being a werewolf would stick around for a couple more years. He also said that I would always be a little more superhuman than an actual human, but I would never ever be _super_ like I was before.

Maybe my leg just needed to be set in place and it would do the healing. Oh, _fuck_.

Embry was climbing down the rocks to me.

"Jared, are you okay? You were under there for a while," Embry stood on the rocks watching me questionably.

"Uh," I wince. "Can you take me to the hospital?"

"What?" Embry asked disbelieving. "Did you really get hurt?"

"Mmhmm," talking hurt as well. My face was contorted in pain, my arms couldn't hold me up anymore as my main focus was the throbbing feeling of my bone sticking out of my skin.

Embry held out his hand to me. "Here, grab on." I swam slowly to him and grabbed his arm, when he pulled me up out of the water. He gasped when he saw my leg. "Oh shit. Damn, Jared, I forgot you're not a werewolf anymore. Fuck, you're stupid!"

Embry helped me up, as I balanced on one leg, with my arm slung around his shoulder. I limped up the cliff with a lot of Embry's help and when we made it closer to the top; Quil jumped down and helped me the rest of the way. When we got up to the top, Claire's high pitched scream nearly broke my ear drum.

Quil cursed, let go of me – I stumbled a bit and Embry shouted at him – and raced to Claire where she hid her face in his chest. Quil tried to calm down the traumatized Claire. Embry was complaining to Quil for not being useful at all. Quil glared at him and glanced down at me.

"I can call Kim," Quil said to me, trying to be helpful. Embry led me to the car, me jumping all the way on one foot. Pain. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

"You can try," I say, hopping to Embry's car. This was embarrassing as hell. I just wanted to be shot up with morphine and have the guys leave me alone. Most of all, I wanted to see Kim. I just concentrated on her and the pain was a little easier to deal with. A _little_ easier.

I fished in my pocket and tossed Quil my phone. I heard the digital noises as Quil pressed the buttons, over the pelting rain. Claire was crying softly, Quil holding her close as they followed me to the car. Once Embry helped me in, he got into the driver's seat, Quil and Claire got in the back, once again.

"Does it hurt?" Claire's voice was muffled, with her mouth pressed under Quil's arm.

"Not so much," I grimace.

"Kim's not picking up. It keeps going to voicemail, should I leave a message?"

"No, no, never mind," I say. I glance down at my leg and see the bloody bone. "Oh, God!" I gasp.

"Leave a message," Embry ordered. He started the car and we were driving eighty miles down the highway in no time.

"Hey, Kim, this is Quil. There's been a bit of an accident, so we're taking Jared to the hospital right now...Call us, I guess," Quil hung up. I groaned in pain. Kim. Kim. Kim. I needed her. She could calm me down like no one else. "I'm sure it won't be long before she calls back."

Claire began to cry.

"Wait! What's your temperature running nowadays, Jare?" Embry asked. "We gotta be careful; otherwise we might have to take you to Dr. Cullen." Temperature? What was he talking about? I wasn't think about my bloody temperature!

"I donno!" I scream as a spasm shoots through my leg.

"Shh, Claire it's alright," Quil comforts her.

"It's my fault!" she sobs.

"Sweetheart, how is it your fault?" Quil asks. Pain, pain, pain. Fucking, pain!

"I asked if we could go cliff diving!" she explains, devastated.

"Claire, it's not your fault. Listen to me, it's _not_ your fault," I feel a thump on the back of my seat. "Tell her, it's not her fault!" he snaps at me. Jesus, the minute Claire starts blubbering, my _actual_ pain means nothing.

"It's not your fault!" I yell, as Embry hits a bump, which causes my leg to jump up. Incredibly painful. Ow. I want to scream so badly. It's the only way I can see this pain leaving me just a little bit.

"See, Jared told you it's alright, now calm down," he coos to her. Fucking, annoying.

"Do you have something I can bite on?" I ask Embry.

"Quil's balls. You're such a pussy!" Embry snaps. Embry gets punched in the arm.

"Seriously! I can't handle this!" I declare. "I'm gonna explode!"

"Calm down, Jared. We're almost at the hospital. Wait, _should_ we take you to Dr. Cullen? You make the choice, right now, Jared." What the fuck. I don't care, just take this pain away!

"Just go to the fucking hospital!" I bark.

"Language," Quil says.

"Grow some breasts!" I bellow. Embry laughs and Quil grumbles. Thankfully, Claire's crying has decreased by half. Now if only my pain could do the same.

Joyously, we pull up to the Emergency. "Hallelujah!" I say. Embry asks Quil to park the car somewhere else and runs in, grabbing a wheelchair. He helps me into it and he takes me to the front desk inside, away from the rain which was becoming irritating with its constant noise hitting the car. I hate hospitals, crying babies, police standing by, sickly looking people who make you uncomfortable...

"Do you have any ID on you?" Embry asks.

"Fuck no."

"Shit," Embry says. I can't see him as he's standing behind me, but shortly I hear him talking into his phone. "'Kay, Quil is getting your ID, where is it?"

"Umm," thinking is so difficult. My eyes are getting droopy; I think I'm passing out. I'm thankful, maybe it will take away some of this pain. "Kim knows where it is."

"Kim's not answering her fucking phone, Jared. Think, where could it –" My eyes close completely and I block out all the noise.

Suddenly, I hear muttering in the background. Where am I? Where's Embry? Wasn't I just talking to him?

"He's got a bit of a fever at one-oh-one point eight," I hear someone say. Ow, my leg hurts. Ow. OW!

"We'll deal with that as soon as we set his leg straight," another voice. Fix my leg, it hurts like a bitch. I feel hands on my searing limb and a bunch of people around me. "Alright, on the count of three." What's on the couch of three? "One, two – three!"

I scream as loud as I can as I'm woken out of my half-sleeping state. My leg is put back into place; meanwhile I'm experience an intense amount of pain. I see spots in front of my eyes as the doctors try to push me back into a laying position.

"Hello? Jared? Is there anyone you want us to call? You have a friend outside, but he doesn't have your ID so, we just need to –"

"Fuck off!" I gasp, as the pain slowly subsides. I get my vision back slowly and I see a young nurse look at me, crestfallen.

"Nadia, not now," says someone beside me.

"Okay, Jared, we're going to have to go into surgery, we'll be leaving in just a few minutes but we'd like to know your age, height and weight."

Concentrate on the words, not the pain. I close my eyes blocking out the bright lights and annoying looking people.

"Morphine, time," sings a voice. Please!

"I'm twenty-seven," I say. Kim. I want Kim. "I want Kim," I slur, through the pain.

"Kim, any number we can –"

"Nadia, ask his friend! Alright, Jared, you're height."

"Six four, but I'm almost six five." Ah, I think the morphine's kicking in.

"You weight?"

"My wife said that it's best not to know your weight. Or else, you'll worry about it..." I don't even know what I'm saying. I feel the bed moving. I hear rolling on the ground and a lot of voices. I think I hear Embry, Quil and a crying Claire.

"Jared!"

"Okay, Jared, we're heading into surgery now." God, surgery is far. I'm getting rolled around through the hospital. We're turning down corners and now we've stopped.

"It hurts," I murmur.

"Yes, we know. It won't be long now before you're all healed. You lost quite a bit of blood."

"Blood," I say. I hear someone chuckle, but I don't care. "Kim."

"Someone is calling Kim, okay?"

"Okay," I repeat. I get moved again and we hit a bump. I think we're in an elevator 'cause I can feel that heavy feeling of going up a floor.

I'm wheeled out, as I open my eyes a peek to see what's going on. I see another reception desk and we're flying right past it. I'm going down a hall and I see two double doors. A hand reaches forward and presses a button and they slowly open. I'm down another hall and we turn a corner and they open a door and we're in a complicated looking room, so I just close my eyes, not wanting to think too much about it.

I'm feeling my body lift up slightly before being placed down again.

"He's heavy, we're gonna need more help picking him up."

"I'll be right back with more help."

"Jared? We're gonna give you something to help relax you."

I nod my head. I block out time. Eventually, I hear a bunch of people come into the room and I hear them all wince as they pick me up, transferring me to another bed. I feel relaxed. And sleepy. Oh, so sleepy.

"Okay, Jared, think of something happy. A boyfriend, a girlfriend, someplace warm. Okay?" I think about Kim and pretty soon I'm out.

...

"Jared, honey, wake up. It's time to wake up now," I feel someone rubbing my back and I slowly open my eyes. I see pink clothing and a kind, blurry face smiling at me. "That's right. Wake up." She stops rubbing my back and I cry out in protest. It felt good. She is fiddling with something or another, before leaving me alone.

I lie there as I seem to slip in and out of consciousness. I try to open my eyes, but they keep closing on me. Argh, I'm at the hospital. Oh, yeah my leg. It hurts, but not as bad as before. I want to get out of here. Where's Kim?

"Jared?" The nurse in the pink scrubs returns. "Hi, sweetie. Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?" Her voice is so nice and soft. I want Kim.

"Um, seven or eight," It's so difficult to speak. My throat is killing me. "And my throat," I add.

"Yeah, it'll be sore for a couple of days. How about I get you a freezee?"

"Yes, please," I mumbled, curling up and then hissing as it hurts my leg to do so. "Kim!" I try to say loudly, but my voice can't seem to go above a whisper. The nurse has left already so I can't tell her how much I miss my wife.

The nurse came back, giving me a white freezee, I put it to my mouth and relished in the soothing feeling it brought to my throat.

"I want my wife," I say.

"This is the recovery room, visitors aren't allowed, but pretty soon you'll be able to have them. Just another more hour, okay?"

"I want Kim," I mumble, sucking on the flavoured ice.

"Okay, well, sometimes we just have to make an exception. We'll page your wife, Jared, okay?" She gave my back another nice rub, before turning out of the room.

After what felt like forever, I hadn't seen the nurse or Kim at all. When someone finally entered the room again, it was a different nurse.

"Alright, Jared, is it? What's the pain like on a scale of one to ten?"

"Um, four," I say.

"Okay, we'll be taking you to the waiting room, soon."

"Where's Kim?" Is all I can say. I'm trying to get back to sleep to pass the time. I'm bored as hell. When will I be able to leave this hospital? I just wanted to go home.

I think I actually fell asleep because it felt like just a second when I heard a couple nurses surround my bed.

"We're gonna take you to the waiting room and then you can have visitors." They got a hold of the bed and after a little bit; they were off, pushing my bed down some halls or something. I don't know. I kept my eyes closed.

"What about Kim?"

"We couldn't get a hold of your wife, Jared. Is she at the hospital?"

"No. She might be. She's in Seattle. What time is it?"

"It's eleven-thirty at night."

I groan and put a hand over my eyes. Kim was most likely still in Seattle. The bed stopped and I opened my eyes to see the nurse in pink talk to the people at the reception desk.

"Change of plans, Jared. You'll be staying here over night, so you get your own room."

Oh God, would this day never end?

--

So it was mid-afternoon the next day and the only people who had visited me were Embry, Quil and a distraught Claire. I hadn't heard anything from Kim or even Paul who couldn't find the decency to give me an update on the status of our wives. Embry said he had called him and the rest of the pack, saying they would probably drop by later today. I was bored out of my mind. The doctor and nurses who had come to see me said I'd probably have to stay another day.

Miserable, I shifted in my bed and glanced down at my cast on my right leg. I'm pretty sure I still healed faster than the average human, so when the doctors said it would be a six week recovery time, I had taken it upon myself to decrease that time by half. I glanced over at the guy in the bed beside me. It was kind of disgusting because his wife was here all the time and they kept making gross kissing noises. Last night, she had closed the curtain and I could _hear_ things. Ugh.

I heard a knock on the door and I saw Emily slowly walk in the room. With a tin box, which I could only assume was full with baked goods.

"Is that for me?" I sat up.

"How are you, Jared?"

"Horrible. Hospital food." I hold out my hands and rolling her eyes, Emily hands me the box. I open it and find cookies and cupcakes. I devour, happy, for the first time in what seemed like days when it had only been hours, really.

She pulled up the chair beside my bed and gave the couple next to me a wary look. "I know how this can all be a bit, overwhelming."

"What?" I say my mouth full of cupcake.

"You're not a...werewolf anymore, Jared," she whispered the word with the couple listening in. This was the first woman who had come to see me who was not a snivelling thirteen year old girl.

"Yeah, reality check," I grumble. It was kind of depressing. Even though I was more than happy to stop transforming so I could have a long, happy and normal life with Kim, I was shocked that I missed it. It had been a major part of my life for eight years and now it was finally leaving me.

"Sam stopped about four years ago and he's still remarkably werewolf-like. It's just you have to remember that you're no longer able to do all the things you used to. You'll be fine, Jared. Sam is," she smiled at me warmly. I nodded. I felt so old all of a sudden. I mean, Paul was basically in the same boat as me, so that made me feel a little bit better. "Embry told me about Kim. She should be on her way home soon, though."

"Do you know if Paul's in contact with them?"

Emily shook her head. "Paul's frantic. Rachel left her phone at home; we're guessing something happened to Kim's phone and – Jared...oh, I shouldn't have said anything!"

"They're lost?" I try to grasp.

"What? No! Paul has gone to go get them, he was impatient. I'm sure their fine!" Emily said quickly, she could obviously see the panic rising in me.

"You're _sure?" _Oh God, oh fuck. I couldn't handle this. I whip the covers off of me and throw my legs over the side of the bed. Why are there no crutches? I stand up and cry out in pain as I put the pressure on my leg.

"Jared sit down or I'll call the nurse!"

"They can't fight me off!" I scoff; I begin to hop on one foot out of the room.

Emily quietens as she realizes how true that is. "Jared, sit down! Kim would not like you walking around like this! You're injured! You need to heal with rest! Jared!" I get to the door and lean against the frame. Emily follows me. I breathe in deeply and make my way down the hall. "Jared, so help me!"

"Go. Away," I pant. This is taking a lot of energy out of me. I wasn't quite sure what I was accomplishing, getting out of bed. I had no idea what to do, but I needed to take action to finding Kim. I rounded a corner and a nurse saw me struggling with a frustrated Emily.

"Sir, should you be out of bed?" The nurse asks her brow furrowing.

"No, he should not!" Emily grabs my arm and I stumble. She screams, scared that I would fall, but I grab the wall and steady myself.

"Sir, get back to bed please," the nurse attempts. But I can tell her she will fail. "Sir! If you do not listen to me, I'm going to have to call someone to assist me in putting you back to bed."

"I'm a grown man; can't I just sign myself out?" I ask.

The nurse hesitates and gives Emily a helpless look.

"Yes, I suppose you can..."

"Jared! Get back to bed!" I freeze. Kim. I hop around and Kim is running toward me. Her face is all flushed and her eyes are all red. "Oh my God, Jared!" she cries. Tears are falling down her cheeks and she throws her arms around me. I have to hold onto a cart that's next to me so I don't fall over. If I, a disabled man, fall down with a pregnant woman...that can't be good for either of us.

"Kim," I breathe in relief, wrapping one arm around her waist.

"Oh, God. I dropped my phone in a puddle," she hiccoughs. "I didn't get your message and then Paul found us when we were driving home this morning. Oh, Jared."

"Ma'am, can we get him back to his room now?" the nurse interferes.

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" She puts an arm around my waist and helps me back to my room. Emily says a quick goodbye to us as I sit back onto the bed in relief. Kim helps me to get my leg back onto the bed and the nurse says she'll be getting the doctor. "Jared, please, tell me you're alright."

"What about you, is everything fine?" I ask, giving her a once over. She sits in the chair that Emily had just occupied.

"Yes, don't be silly," she grabs my hand and kisses it. I close my eyes feeling peaceful.

"I missed you. I wish you could have been there when I woke up," I whisper to her.

"Oh, don't make me feel guiltier then I already do," she strokes my hand with her thumb.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," I say. She is so beautiful. She's my salvation, the only thing that can truly calm me and take my pain away.

"It's weird worrying about you," she nods to my leg. "How does it feel to be vulnerable?" she smirks at me.

"I hate it."

The doctor came in after that and gave me a shot of morphine to put me at ease. As I was drifting off, I rolled over onto my stomach.

"Can you rub my back?" I mumble, losing consciousness.

She doesn't respond, but I feel her hand make soothing circles on my back.

I sigh and fall asleep.

**R/R!!**


	4. The Plump Platypus

**AN: I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I feel as if I just had to get it out of the way so that I could move on to something else. Hopefully I'll be inspired to update soon. Stay tuned. Thanks for the reviews!**

Chapter 4: The Plump Platypus

_Fuck you, your drunk  
And acting tough  
I know you're sad  
__You're not the only one who feels like that now.  
- We Will Still Need a Song by Hawksley Workman_

"So, I was talking to Emily on the phone today," Kim says to me. We're lounging on the couch, my body extended out the entire length, with my feet dangling over at the end. Kim is curled up next to me, her back to the couch. Her head is resting on my chest and her protruding stomach is pressed up against the side of my torso. One of her legs is hitched over my thighs. My right hand is clutching the remote control, pointing at the TV and the other is holding onto her leg on my body.

"Mm," I mumbled. Unsatisfied, I flick the channel away from the stupid reality show where there's a group of girls half naked on a bus. I don't get it. Half these girls are drugged out anyway, so there's absolutely no sex appeal to me with them drooling all over the place.

"And she said that Embry's imprinted." I look down at her and she beams.

"Really?" I ask. I sink further into the couch thinking it over. Well, it was about time. Embry was the only one out of the original wolves, who hadn't imprinted yet. I settled on a show that was making fun of reality shows. I love this show. "What's her name?"

"Her name's Lydia and she has a son," I balk at this news. "And she's thirty."

"Embry went for an older woman!" I laugh, a bit shocked. I chuckle at the thought. Embry only dated younger girls, like, just last month he was dating a seventeen year old. He often claimed that he would never date anyone who was older than him because it was 'disgusting'. Ha! The irony.

Kim sits herself up on an elbow. "That doesn't matter. They're in love and it's totally sweet."

"He's also a dad. Maybe he can give me some tips," I say. Wow, Embry was going to be a father-figure to this kid. He became a father in an instant, as soon as he saw Lydia. Whereas I have to wait another five months.

"He's learning, still. But at least it's all working out for him. Except, she lives in Missoula," Kim said.

"Wait? Two questions. One, when did this happen? And two, where is Missoula?" I'm confused; I only just saw Embry on Wednesday, which was two days ago and it's already progressed to this. Did Quil not know? I was just working with him a few hours ago and he didn't tell me? Kim traces circles on my chest.

"I think it happened late on Wednesday and he hasn't left Montana yet. He called only Sam this afternoon because you and Quil were at work and he didn't want to bother you, so he asked Sam to tell the rest of the pack. I think he might call sometime soon to tell you and Quil to watch the garage while he's gone." She settled back in between my body and the couch, rubbing her nose against my shirt, tickling me slightly.

I groan and the phone rings. Kim pulls herself up onto her knees. We have a table pushed up against the back of the couch where our phone is placed in the receiver. I press my hand over her baby bump as she reaches over and answers the phone. It's become a habit of mine. I clutch her stomach as if I'm scared the baby will just tumble out of her belly at any moment. I don't think I understand the phyics or mechanics to carrying a child.

"Hello?" She lies back down and I put my arm around her, the other firmly on her stomach. I move so that I'm on my side facing her and she looks up at me with a cute smile.

"Yeah, he's right here Quil," she hands me the phone. I take it, pressing it to my ear.

"Hey, what's up?" I say.

"Did you hear about Embry?" Quil asked.

"Yeah, pretty crazy right?"

He doesn't seem in the mood to chat: "Right, you're gonna have to go in for work tomorrow," he says.

"What?" Kim and I had plans to go to her dad's for the day to spend time with her family. We were gonna have a nice day with her dad, sister, sister's husband and sister's baby girl. As much as I was dreading spending the afternoon with Kim's dad, working didn't seem much of a better choice.

"You can close early! It's just, Embry called me about ten minutes ago and said he's basically not coming back, indefinitely. Normally he works the weekends. I'll take Sunday and Jake said he'd be there this whole weekend. Just stay there until five then you can go home." I sigh, Kim would not like this change of events.

"How is the guy?" I ask about Embry.

"Ecstatic. It serves him right! The amount of times he made fun of us about our girls, now he gets one of his own and we can tease him just as badly."

"Sure, sounds fun," I say, though, at the moment, it doesn't sound too interesting. Maybe in a couple months, but right now he's in a whole newly-wed faze that can't really be teased with when he'll be so blissfully unaware of the fact that we can make fun of him.

"Yeah, I think Jake said he'd ask Seth if he could help out tomorrow too, so we'll see. I gotta go; I'm taking Claire to the movies. Have a nice night, Jared," Quil says.

"Bye," I hang up and look down at Kim who makes a loud laugh over something on the TV. She laughs a long time, unable to stop and it makes me so happy to see her this way. I kiss her hair, she finally calms down, regaining her breath.

"What's going on?" she asks a laugh still in her voice.

"Embry isn't coming back until, God knows when, so I have to work tomorrow."

"What?" she looks at me sharply. "But – my family –," her eyes turn shiny, regretfully.

"I know, I know. Maybe we can make it into a dinner thing? I'll be off by five, or even earlier since Jake and Seth will be coming to the garage tomorrow too."

She pouts and hides her face under my arm.

--

I was here all alone all day. Jacob never turned up (I left him several angry messages, only to receive no reply back), Seth hadn't popped in at all and when I tried to call Paul in a desperate act for help, he refused to come by even for an hour. And today, was busy. There was a collision involving three cars about a mile down the road. One car in particular was smashed up well. The other two had minor fenders, in comparison. So, I was working on three cars, plus two tows, and many stop-ins to which I had to refuse service because I was so swamped today. We lost business, we lost customers. I would probably get blamed for it too. The fact that I was abandoned on a Saturday, the day that I don't work, would not be accepted as an excuse.

It was nearing seven o'clock and I had promised Kim to be at her father's at five-thirty. I couldn't leave right now, but my obligation to my wife was ringing like an alarm in my head as each minute passed. I hated disappointing her. On top of that, the phone had been ringing off the hook for the past hour and I was sure I knew who it was. Kim. But, I couldn't answer because I knew the moment I heard her voice ordering me to come for dinner, I would be racing out of this garage. I couldn't leave; I owed it to Embry and Quil – I gave them my word that I would be here today so I couldn't back out. Plus, I needed the money. We had a baby on the way and those tiny little people weren't cheap, as I've learned. Kim has been panicking about our financial situation for several weeks now and no matter how many times I say we're going to be fine, it won't change the fact that at this moment, we are teetering on the edge of _not_ being fine.

No, I would not allow myself to think about how much money we needed. I was going to focus on my job efficiently. But I was so damn slow! I couldn't get myself to move around so nimbly like usual.

What slowed me down? A broken leg.

Stupid fucking leg. It's been almost two weeks and I still had this God forsaken cast on my leg. I had tried to pry it off a few times, but, unfortunately, Kim kept walking in on me, would see what I was attempting and then scream, shout and curse at me for being so foolish as to hinder my healing process. Women!

_Bring-bring! _Shut up! Don't call me! Leave me alone! I'm making money for us, Kim. Your dad can wait!

_Bring!_

_Bring!_

_Briiiiiiing!_

I sighed and tossed my rag on the engine. I wobbled over to the office where the phone sat on the desk, mixed among a mountain of paperwork. That was going to be a bitch to sort out on Monday. I picked up the phone, frustrated.

"What?" I exclaim in exasperation.

"What are you doing? Why haven't you answered? I've been calling for over an hour, Jared! We've held off dinner for you. When will you get here?" Kim's questions were spluttered out in such a way that it was disheartening for me to interrupt her and give her a proper answer.

"I can't come tonight, Kim. I'm nowhere near finished –," I begin.

"Jared, at least come for dinner. My sister, her husband and the baby are here. I _need_ you. I'm freaking out -," her voice is frantic. The doctor had said a week ago that her blood pressure was unnecessarily high, so I was going to avoid adding on to her issues.

"Okay, okay! But, I'm coming back as soon as we're done eating."

"Thank you! Get here quick." She hangs up the phone and I put it back in the receiver. I put a hand to my forehead in an attempt to calm my headache. It's no use. I take a minute just to stand there in the office and collect myself, before heading out of the garage; I turn off all the machinery, lights and lock up after me.

Kim's dad's house wasn't too far, but it was in the opposite direction of where I would go if I were heading home. I walked fast, not wanting to upset my hormonal wife anymore than I apparently, already had. It was difficult when I had one crutch under my right arm. I limped my way to her father's house, down one street, up another. When I turned the corner onto the right street, gritting my teeth, I nearly ran into a woman.

The woman jumped in surprise, looked up at my face and let out a blood-curdling scream. Shocked at this reaction, I yelled out, also. We stood there for a few minutes, letting out noise of astonishment at a high pitch, staring at one another. What an odd occurance. There was nothing to be shouting about, but I couldn't seem to stop. She barely even blinked, she couldn't take her eyes off me and not in a sexy way, but a terrifying way. Finally she sucked in another breath (but I kept going), let out another shout and ran away from me. Once I collected myself, I realized how ridiculous that whole situation was, I shimmied back on track to the house.

The whole way, I couldn't get that screaming match with the random woman out of my head. What a crazy thing. Why had _I _reacted that way? Like a stupid little girl. Ugh, I'm ashamed with myself. Luckily no one saw that. I glance around the neighbourhood, which was fairly deserted, the sun setting low behind me.

I walk up the path to the door of the house. I knock on it once and Meghan's husband, Mark, opens the door. He looks startled at my arrival and I give him an odd look.

"Nice to see you again, Mark," I nod to him. Mark has one eyebrow cocked up in wonder, his messy light brown hair sticking up at different ends. He isn't that tall of a man, compared to me. I look down at him and notice he seems to have put on a bit of weight. I puff my chest out, proud of my body.

"Right...Hey, Jared," Mark steps aside, and I walk in. Father-hood has turned him strange. He wasn't saying a word to me, but I saw a faint smirk at the corner of his mouth. I was about to ask him what was funny, but when I turned into the living room, Meghan let out a short squeal, their baby, Natasha, began to cry when she saw me.

Natasha was almost a year old and she was standing on her own two feet, her small hands gripping her mother's knees, while Meghan sat on the sofa, her eyes wide, looking at me. Mark nods as if to confirm something.

"Hey, Meghan," I walk over to her, Natasha backs away behind her mother's leg. I kiss Meghan on the cheek and sit beside her. Meghan gives Mark an odd look. Mark points to his cheek and in response Meghan rubs at the spot on her face where I had just pecked. That was sort of rude, especially with me witnessing her doing so. She could at least of the decency as to wipe her cheek when I have my eyes averted or back turned.

"Jared, what's that -," Meghan starts, but is cut off when Kim walks in and jumps.

"Jared! What is that on your face!" she looks bemused. Suddenly, everyone's surprise is starting to make sense. I get up slowly and walk over to the mirror above the fire place. I look at my reflection and see that my face is covered in thick oil. Oddly enough, my teeth are also black. How did that happen? My clothes are filthy, my hair is a mess; my appearance is frightening.

I put a hand to my cheek and try to smear the gunk off my face. It does not help; it seems that I have pushed the oil into my hair. I push my hair back even more, only making it greasier. God, my hair is getting long. I grab a good lock of hair and pull it in front of my face, examining it in the mirror. It is rather healthy...glossy too, the kind of hair any woman would kill for. I flip my head to the side and admire the way my hair bounces. Huh. Cool.

"What are you doing?" Mark's voice is apprehensive as he observes me from the couch. Meghan and Kim look dumfounded as if they have never seen a man fascinated by his own hair before.

"I'm noticing how my hair – it does this flippy thing – I never really – you know what? It doesn't matter," I laugh nervously. Kim edges toward me and pats my hand condescended.

"Let's get you cleaned up for dinner," she says softly, leading me out of the room by the hand. I follow her without complaint, but catch my reflection in another mirror down the hall. My hair is so long! It hasn't been this long since I was a teenager.

"Look at my hair!" I exclaim to Kim, who shakes her head. This isn't the appropriate length hair should be for a father. I'd be an embarassing dad, and I don't want that. I will strive to be a cool dad, if not a hot one. (Well, only Kim will find me attractive, and possibly, in the future, my child's friends. If I have a daughter all her girl friends will admire my looks.)

I'm pushed into the tiny washroom, pressed up against the wall by the toilet, while Kim squeezes in also, shutting the door. We switch places with some difficulty so that I am the one in front of the mirror and sink.

The mirror is much smaller than the one in the living room, but the shock of my appearance is still standing. I run another hand through my hair.

"Stop that, we're not gonna wash your hair in my dad's sink," Kim grabs my hand and presses it to the tap, turning it to the right to make the water warm.

She turns her body a little, crouching down to reach into the small wicker-drawer that is so close to the toilet that I can never sit on it because my legs are too big and can't take the small distance between the two. She produces a face cloth and drenches it in the water. She then pushes it to my face, proceeding to wash it like I'm an invalid and unable to do it myself. It's odd that she is doing this, but I'm also quite charmed by her actions. She is so gentle and loving as she carefully clears my face of the oils residue. I put my hands under the tap, cleaning them. My face is back to the way I remembered it. Kim is gazing up at me with a small smile playing her lips.

"You're gonna be an awesome mother," I remark, after we stand there gazing into one another's eyes for a bit. She turns away after this comment, washing off the face-cloth.

"I'm starving," she mutters, ignoring my words. I run my hand through _her_ hair - now that my fascination with my own has passed - settling it at the nape of her neck, holding onto her tresses, refusing to let go.

"I'm Jared," I responded. She rolled her eyes at my horrible joke that I reused so often that it was incredibly annoying. It was such a habitted response, I couldn't stop even if I tried. Kim had never asked me to stop with that old joke because even though it was stupid, I think she kinda liked it.

She moved to the door and opened it, only to realize that I was now squished up against the wall when the door was full opened. I was trapped so I had to wait until she left before I could close the door and then open it again so I could sneak out. On the way to the dining room I rubbed my chin, making sure that I had no more grime on my face left over.

The table was set and everyone was taking their seat. Mark was helping Natasha into her high chair that was placed right in between him and Meghan. I took a seat right next to Kim, while her father sat at the head of the table. I smiled at him, he replied with a tight nod.

I don't think he ever liked me or ever will. Oh well, I'm with Kim and there's nothing he can do about it. As Kim reaches over the table for the carrots, I see him eye her stomach disdainfully. I clench my fists, breathing in calmly through my nose. I would not let him bother me tonight. When Kim returns to her seat I lean over, kiss her cheek and place my hand pointedly on her stomach. Her father catches my eye, but doesn't speak a word.

I keep my hand firm on her ever-growing stomach, while I help myself to the food, piling it onto my plate. As I observe everyone else's servings, I realize I have the most. Shrugging, I pick up my fork and begin to dig in when Kim's father clears his throat.

"If you remember correctly, Jared, we say grace in this house," her father speaks, glaring at my fork which has a mountain of mashed potatoes. I nod, putting it down.

"I apologize, Frank," I say, coolly. Kim pinches the skin on my arm. We all bow our heads, and there's a silence as we all wait for someone to speak.

"How about you do us the honours, Jared?" Frank's voice cuts into the silence. Kim glances at me through her long eye lashes. My eyes widen at her, she responds with shutting her eyes.

"Sure," I say. I'm not a religious person and neither was anyone in my family. But, Kim, her sister and father all believed in a God, whereas I didn't know what to believe at often times. "Thank you, Lord...for everything – you are so generous as to give us food and...people. These people sitting at this table, are great...people. They are kind people. Nice people. Funny people...baby people," I wasn't sure if I was repeating the word 'people' because I didn't know what to say or I wanted to piss off Frank. He was seething, I could see, thanks to me. "I'm proud to be a part of these people's lives. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for the people, God. Yeah." Through the whole prayer, my hand still on Kim's bump, my other hand in my lap, I kept my eyes on Frank watching his expression.

"Amen," Meghan said nervousness in her tone as she glanced at her dad. Kim turned her attention to me, sharply. I averted my eyes, but her gaze was intent on burning a hole through me.

"That was well said, Jared," Mark smiles at me. He finds my fights with Frank hilarious. Kim does not. She never, ever does.

Frank hasn't remarked on my prayer at all, so we all dig in anyway.

"Jared, I was just telling Kim earlier how big she is already," Meghan says. Kim finally pulls her stare from me and settles on hating her sister at the moment.

"I am not big," she says.

"She's beautiful," I rub her stomach.

"I'm just saying. You're not even four months yet, and your stomach is quite large. Has the doctor commented on its size at all?" Meghan spears a carrot and pops it into her mouth.

"We'll be seeing him next week, so we can ask him then. Is there something wrong with being big?" I ask, beginning to worry.

"Now you've got him panicking, Meghan. Great, thanks," Kim snaps at her sister. Meghan looks unfazed by Kim's discontent.

"_Should_ I panic?"

"No," Kim says.

"I'm sure it's nothing Jared. You're a big guy, so maybe you're just having a big baby," Meghan seems to be enjoying herself, torturing her big sister like this. Kim is not pleased and has decided to focus on her food.

"A fat baby?" I imagine it and I scrunch up my face.

"No," Meghan laughs. Natasha has decided to slap on the surface of her high chair rather loudly. It's irritating and I wonder why Meghan and Mark choose to ignore it. Someone has to shut her up. "Well, I don't know, maybe. Who knows right?"

"Our baby is not fat," Kim grumbles.

"And neither is she," I say, proudly. I believe this to help me earn brownie points with my wife, but she doesn't appreciate my input, clearly.

There's not a word spoken after that and we all put our attention to our food. It's rather awkward. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, looking at Kim for help. I hate awkward silences and situations. I react strongly in these moments because an overwhelming feeling of breaking the nothingness consumes me.

"So! How about those...Packers?" I exclaim the first sports team I know off hand that comes to mind.

"You watch sports?" Mark looks a bit stunned.

"Sure, I love...hockey?" My voice goes up at the last word. Kim snorts. She is the only one who finds this amusing. Everyone stares at me blankly. Even the baby for God sake. "No, no, I don't," I confess when I realize how quickly the jig is up.

"Obviously," Frank mumbles. He puts down his knife and fork, directing his attention to me. "What kind of man are you?" he stares at me, outraged.

"What kind of question is that?" I blurt out before I can stop myself. The silence is no longer awkward, but uncomfortable. Kim rests her head in her hand, stressed.

"It's the kind of question a father asks from her daughter's good-for-nothing husband."

"I'm good for something!" I protest. Not surprisingly, the first defence that comes to my head is making his daughter scream out during a climax, but somehow I can see he won't appreciate that response.

"Working at a low rate garage?" Frank's face is flushing. "Don't think you've matured into some strapping man. I still remember how horrible of a guy you were to my daughter when you first started going out –,"

"Daddy, Jared was perfect to me," Kim says.

Frank slams his hand on the table, causing his grand-daughter to burst into tears at the sudden noise.

"I never understood what you didn't like in me," I say in disbelief. I'm not a bad guy! I never hurt anybody – well, I killed a few vampires. And I have caused physical pain to several of my pack members, which was out of love. And, maybe, I've made my wife cry on the odd occasion, but I wasn't bad. I was pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

"There's something about you," he points a finger at me accusingly. "I always felt something. Kim would come home crying saying she was worried about you. She'd lock herself in her room for hours, crying and crying and crying! Never said a word. We used to be like two peas in a pod and then _you_ show up and everything is backwards!"

Back in the first years of Kim and mine's relationship, it had been rocky. But it hadn't been us; it had been the whole vampire's versus werewolves' debacle that was getting us into wars and meetings. It was a very stressful time, but once the dust settled everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. Like it is now. He had no idea what he was talking about.

But, he was also observant, I'll give him that. He knew there was something off about me and dammit, he was right.

"Dad, I've been with Jared for ten years. We're having a kid now, can't you get over it?" Kim inquires, tiredly. Aw, poor baby, she looks exhausted. Can't I just take my wife home?

The look on Frank's face clearly says that I can't take my wife home and no, he can't get over it. Oh for crying out loud. I want to sleep and I just remembered I have to head back to the garage. I pull out my phone in my pocket, open it, and text Quil.

"We're in the middle of a discussion and you're on your damn phone!" Frank explodes.

"I'll only be a minute," I bite my tongue, thoughtfully, as I tell Quil I can't work anymore tonight or I'll die from sleepiness.

Mark pulls Natasha out of the high chair and takes her out of the room deeming this conversation inappropriate for him. The baby is just a buffer. Aren't they all?

"Jared, let's go," Kim grabs my arm, which hasn't left it's place on her stomach at all, then stands on her feet. She's fed up, thankfully. I didn't think I could take much more ot his discussion anyway.

"This isn't over, Kim," Frank stands up too. I get to my feet and shove my phone back in my pocket. I grab Kim's waist, pulling her back to me, as I back out of the room slowly.

"I'm not in the mood for this Dad. We're going now. I'm sorry, goodnight. I love you. We can plan another dinner when I'm not so tired. See you Meg. Bye, Mark!" she called out. I yank her away from her crazy family and into the hall. I wrap my arms around her, then press my face into her hair. Horrible night. Horrible day.

I hear Meg telling her dad to calm down. Kim and I leave the house before we can be stopped. Once we are out in the fresh air, I breathe a sigh of relief. That place was like a prison. Why had I walked into that house again? Oh right, my wife conned me into entering.

We walk back home, hand in hand, mulling over the events that transpired.

"Do you think Meg was exaggerating or it's true?" she wondered out loud. We passed the garage and I felt guilty for having no plans to return to work at all. Oops, oh well. Besides it's all dark and uninviting at the moment. Why bother?

"True – what?" I mumble, not really remembering her question.

"Am I abnormally big?" she looks down at her stomach. I open my mouth open in shock.

"Absolutely not. You are perfectly plump."

"Plump? That makes me sound like a turkey!"

"But, a very cute turkey."

"I don't want to be a Goddamn turkey. Not even a cute one!"

"Hmm, well then. Let's see. What else is plump - ?"

"Jared, stop it."

"A platypus?"

"A platypus! Have you ever even seen a platypus? Who calls their wife a platypus? For goodness sake, Jared."

"I like platypuses. Their cool."

"Ugh."

"Well, it's better to be a platypus then a walrus."

"Was that your first answer?"

"No way."

"Then why are you even bringing it up now?"

"Because apparently I love to dig myself a hole?"

She stops in front of our house, a frown creasing her eyebrows. She hesitates before putting a hand to her own stomach.

"I am too big," she whispers.

"Kim, you're pregnant. I'd rather you big then...not."

"No, I mean, I look like I'm five months gone or something. Don't I?"

"I'm not a pregnancy expert, I have to say." I'm completely clueless on this front. I look up at our house and at the window on the second floor, the front room. That's our bedroom. We're so close. I take a step to the house, watching Kim. She doesn't seem to notice my careful steps to the front door. I reach it, unlock it, open it. I wait for my wife to realize that I'm urging her into the house. She does and walks over, in a daze.

Once we're inside, I lock up the house and lead her up the stairs to our bedroom. I close the door behind us. She's still in her own world, her hand planted on her stomach. I strip off my shirt and pants, tossing them into the laundry basket. She begins to pace, while I stand there in front of her completely naked, she takes no notice.

"What are you doing?" I ask finally, my impatience wearing thin.

"Trying to see if I can _know_ things about my baby. Like the sex or something," she meets my eye. I touch her cheek briefly before trailing it down her neck and resting it on her shoulder. I take off her shirt, which causes her to finally take her hand away from her baby bump. Before long, we're standing in the centre of our room with no clothes on. I wait for her to give me the consent that I can have my way with her.

She shakes her head, pointing to her dresser.

"Can you get me my nightgown?" she asks. Hopes of getting lucky are dashed, unfortunately. I rummage through her bottom drawer and produce her white silky gown. I pull it over her head. I reach into the laundry basket and get my boxers, pulling them on.

She crawls into the freshly made bed and I follow, revelling in the sheet's cool feeling against my bare body.

"Did you foresee our baby's future after all that thinking?"

"Don't tease me," she says.

"Alright," I agree to those terms. She wasn't in the mood and frankly, I was too tired to pursue an annoying counter.

"I don't think I'll be sleeping at all tonight. Don't worry about me, Jare. Get some sleep," her voice is clear and it's kind of harsh in the quiet echo of our home. I'm too tired to try and convince her to get some sleep.

So I sleep. She doesn't.

**R/R!!**


	5. The Flirty Teachers

**AN: To answer your question: yes, Goodenough is a last name. And yes, it is spelled exactly that way. And yes, I had a teacher named Mr. Goodenough, and he was cute.**

Chapter 5: The Flirty Teachers

_When you came in the air went out.  
And every shadow filled up with doubt.  
I don't know who you think you are,  
But before the night is through,  
I wanna do bad things with you.  
- Bad Things by Jace Everett_

"I feel like we are _always_ at the doctor's office. What could he possibly tell us this week that he couldn't last week?" I grumble in the waiting room. Kim flicked through a magazine.

"The sex of the baby."

"_Oh yeah_," I said turning to her, excitement flushing my body. I was gonna know if I was having a boy or girl today. That's awesome. I'm also kinda nervous. I don't know what I want. I have a feeling that having a boy would be easier than a girl. I'd have to worry about boys trying to date my daughter and just the thought of that irritated me. A boy could be simple. I knew what they liked, plus, I wouldn't have to worry about their dates. "What do you want?"

Kim put down her magazine abruptly. "Vanilla chocolate cheesecake."

"I'm being serious."

"Me too, it just came to me. That's what I want."

"I meant: a boy or girl."

"Yes. Right, I knew that," she hesitates, grabbing my hand. She opens her mouth to continue when a nurse pops her head out of the door that lead to the room.

"Kim, come on in," she says. Kim jumps up, dropping my hand. She quickly walks through the door and I follow suit, feeling a bit put-off by her unwillingness to talk to me about it. Once we're in the room she quickly undresses into the hospital gown and I take a seat on the swivel chair, waiting for the doctor to enter. There's a soft knock on the door, Kim settles into the chair. She tells the doctor that she's ready. Dr. Madden enters. Unfortunately, he hasn't lost half his face in a regrettable smelting accident – he's still good-looking. I heard Kim telling Rachel that he was incredibly 'gorgeous' (her word, not mine), so I was on my guard when he was around my wife. I had to be. I've watched TV; girls always fell for the beautiful doctors.

"So, today's the day I'm telling you two the sex of the baby right?" he said, getting all the ultra-sound stuff ready. Kim half-lay there with her stomach exposed. I took her hand like I always did. It was the only way I felt involved at these appointments.

Dr. Madden squirted jelly onto her belly and got that controller, glidy thing rolling over her large stomach. Damn, it was big. I'd never admit it to Kim, but she was huge. Not that she was unattractive, I still found her incredibly sexy. Oddly, more so in some ways.

The beat of our baby's heart thudded loudly so we could hear. It was such an odd heart beat; it was strong and was constantly a thud-thud-thud. The doctor frowned as he moved the controller around her stomach some more. Why was he frowning?

The picture of our baby on the screen was odd. I never quite understood all of it, and I always had to have the baby's body parts pointed out to me.

"Huh," uttered the doctor.

"'Huh?' Huh, what?" I said, worry creeping up on me. I hated when I got like this. I was such a girl. Kim looked calm. But she was frowning too, staring at the screen.

"What the fuck is that?" she asked. What could they see that I couldn't?

"It seems that both heart beats are at the exact same time, which was why I couldn't see it before..."

"What?" Kim balked. "By two, you mean mine and the baby's right?" she clarified.

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking from her and the doctor.

"Jared, that is one baby," he pointed to the screen, I could see the head of the baby and then he moved the controller to the different part of her stomach. "And that is your other one."

...

...

"Wait...what?" I asked. Kim's hand went limp in my own. She breathed in deeply.

"You're having twins. Would you like to know the sex?" Dr. Madden looked at us, his expression cautious as we both stared at him blankly. Kim was shaking.

"Twins?"

"Yes."

"Twins."

"Two."

"Two babies?"

"Mm-hmm," I answer her questions. But I don't find how they can be helpful. Twins. Twins.

"Are you sure?" Kim's voice cracked. Oh please, don't cry.

"I'm very sure, Kim. How about I give you two a minute?" The doctor stood up slowly, pulling off his rubber gloves and exiting the room.

"Oh, Jared," Kim sighed. She put her palm to her forehead and rubbed it. "Oh, Jared, Jared, Jared." I didn't know what to say to her, except this:

"Oh, Kim, Kim, Kim."

"Ugh!" she hid her face completely. "We can't afford two. We didn't even want one."

"It's not ideal," I agree, dumbly. We don't say anything for a while until eventually the doctor re-enters and asks if we're okay. Kim nods and he sits back down.

"Would you like to know the sex?"

"For both or just one?" she mutters bitterly.

"Whatever you'd like," Dr. Madden looked a bit guilty, but it wasn't his fault. It was mine. Mine and my stupid dick. Cheap bastard.

"Fine, just tell us," Kim groans, throwing her head back and staring up at the ceiling.

The doctor's lips thinned and he looked into our file. "You'll be having two boys."

"Wonderful. Can we go now?" she asks, he nods. She jumps off the chair, grabs her clothes, speedily gets dressed and leaves the room with me trailing behind her, dumbfounded. Before I could exit, the doctor stopped me.

"I hope you'll be able to calm her down, Jared. Her stress level is above average. Just help her see the positive side. You need to help her through this," he places a hand on my shoulder. I feel as if he's being condescending. I just nod anyway, leaving the room, feeling very confused.

My head could not wrap around the idea of having another baby adding to the equation in five months time. I'd just gotten sort of used to one baby. Now two. I returned to the waiting room where Kim was standing impatiently tapping her foot, her bag gripped tightly in her fist. I joined by her side and she took off as soon as I caught up to her.

"Kim, it'll be okay," I say, striding by her side. I find it kind of adorable that she's trying to out-walk me. My legs go up to her elbow, there's no way she could ever be faster than me.

"Will it, Jared? Because right now I can't see how it will be!" She reaches the car and throws open the drivers-side door. Okay, I guess she'll be driving. I round the car, jump into the passenger seat, then look over at her. She hesitates before starting the car.

"There's an upside. There _has_ to be," I mumble to myself. Our house is fairly small. We had one decent sized room for the new baby and the other room we have is so damn tiny, that it would barely be able to fit a bed in there. Two cribs! Two highchairs! Two of everything!

I groaned, slamming my head on the dashboard. Suddenly, my head was pounding, the feeling that it was about to be split in two.

--

I looked around the studio, watching all these expectant fathers with their pregnant wives. There were tall men, short men, skinny men, large men, odd looking men, average-Joe men and then there was me. Tall, dark, muscled and glaring because this was the last thing I wanted to do. I felt embarrassed being here; I know I shouldn't, I should be proud of my accomplishment with my wife, but the idea of sitting here and practicing my breathing patterns with a group full of men and judgemental, pregnant women, turned me off of the idea of pregnancy class.

Kim was beside me, pulling off her jacket and placing it on the bench which was pressed up against a wall of floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Her back was facing me, though I could see her expression through the reflection. She saw me staring and winked, turning around to face me. This would be fine; I'd just hang on to Kim the entire time.

I didn't want to be left alone.

A woman, who I could only assume was the teacher, walked into the center of the room, clapping her hands, calling our attention to her.

"Alright, let's have everyone grab a mat and form a circle in the center of the room." The woman moved over to her lonely mat on the floor and waited for the couples to continue the circle.

I saw a pile of mats in a corner of the room. Sighing, I headed over where the men were all tottering toward them for their wives. As I pulled off a mat, I saw that these men were just as lost with this situation as I was. Well, most of them were.

I brought the mat where Kim was standing awkwardly in the forming circle. I saw a few women sitting on their mats already and their husbands sitting behind them with their legs open, so that they could sit between them. Once I lay the mat down, Kim sat and I sat. I didn't do the same thing the other men were doing, because I wasn't sure I was _supposed_ to do that, so I just decided to sit my own way.

Kim turned her neck around and winked at me again, in an attempt to calm me. It didn't help.

"Alright! Hello everyone, my name is Angelica and I'll be your guide into learning more about your baby and pregnancy. We meet here every week and each week we'll explore a new subject or topic that reaches your concerns. But, first, I'd like us to go around the circle and introduce ourselves and your baby's due date. "

Oh fucking, great. Not only do I have to participate in this crack class but I have to _talk_ as well? This is shit. Kim scoots back a bit so she's closer to me.

"I don't wanna do this," she mutters so only I can hear.

I sigh, because even though I want to say 'let's hit the road then, baby,' what I really need to say is this: "It's alright, I can do the talking, hon." And I do. She smiles gratefully at me, and then turns her attention to the circle.

As each person speaks around the circle, it gets closer to us. Luckily, there's one woman who can't seem to shut up as she tells us her fears and dreams for her baby as if this was some sort of therapy session. Kill me, now.

Angelica walks and stands in front of our mat, prompting us to speak.

"Okay, this is my wife Kim and I'm Jared. The baby's due date is February sixteenth," I say slowly, staring at Angelica. I don't want to see everyone's judgemental eyes.

What would they be judging me for?

"Nice, so your wife is six months along," Angelica asks.

"Nearly," I respond.

"Are you excited for your baby's arrival, Jared?" she asks another question. She never asked anyone else these questions! Why me?

I frown; Kim turns her body around to watch my expression. I stare into her eyes and she stares back. I can't see anyone else.

"Yes, I am."

Angelica taps her foot; I can see that out of the corner of my eye. "Jared?" Reluctantly, I look back up at our teacher. She is watching my expression, carefully, which is an odd thing to do to your student who has his wife with you. "That was a very honest answer, but I can see your fear." Her voice is softer when she speaks these words to me, and I'm a bit puzzled by this.

She smiles, and then turns to the couple next to us. They only respond with the same questions and she doesn't ask them any additional ones. Not fair. Kim reaches and grabs my hand, I look back at her. Her face looks a bit disgruntled. I give her a questioning look, but Angelica demands our attention once again.

Watching the other couples almost automatically knowing what to do, I followed their lead, hesitantly. I opened my legs and Kim sat in between them. This reminded me of dirty things, but it was so incredibly unerotic in this place that it was kind of a downer. First thing we did, was breathing rhythms, which apparently I was supposed to contribute to as well. Even though I wouldn't be the one giving birth, it was essential that I learn how to breathe in a pattern that would be inspiring and beneficial to Kim's birthing plan...What?

I was supposed to put a hand on Kim's stomach to get a better idea of how she's breathing and if it's suitable. So there I sat, reaching around my wife, and she breathed in a rhythm that seemed quite acceptable to me. How could I know the difference? How come all the other men knew if they were doing this all right or not? Argh.

"Jared, no, no, no. Here let me show you," I see Angelica move forwards to me and I notice that my hand isn't moving up and down on Kim's stomach.

"Babe, why aren't you breathing?" I ask her.

Angelica sits behind me, she opens her legs and I notice them on opposite sides of my sitting position. She reaches forward and places a hand on my stomach.

"Now, breathe in deeply, Jared," she says. Kim pushes my hand away and turns around to watch, her eyes narrowed. Not sure what else to do, I breathe in. "Hold it there for a while," she says softly. I wait for her to give the signal, I can keep my breath in for quite a while, she's in for a shocker if this is some kind of competition or something. "Now, exhale," she breathes out too, and her breath tickles my ear. I smile, slightly. Kim does not look amused. "Breathe in...and out. In...and out. There you go! This is how it's supposed to be, do you understand now, Jared?"

"Yeah, sure," I say. She pats my stomach a little and then disentangles herself from me. I wave to Kim to get back into our previous position. "Come on, I'm practically the breathing master right now. Get between my legs, woman!" I tease. Her face is blank, yet determined.

Kim sets herself on her knees, and shuffles toward me. What is she doing? She's supposed to settle in a legs crossing position facing away from me? What I'm not prepared for, as she stares at me seriously, is for her to punch me in the groin. I fall over to the side, and push my legs together in pain. I see spots in front of my eyes as I groan, ah, the agony. What the fuck was that for? As I glance over at her in my current fetal position, she's sitting cross-legged ready to continue.

Angelica comes over to us again. "Is everything alright? Jared?"

"He's fine," Kim says firmly. She glares up at Angelica. I close my eyes, biting my lip, waiting for the throbbing to ease up. It will go away soon enough.

Angelica nods, then turns back to the class wrapping up the lesson. I finally get myself to sit up and Kim is already getting herself to her feet and going to our bags by the benches. I slowly stand up, a little shaky on my feet. Kim grabs her coat, throwing it on in a rather pissed off mood and manner. Being a guy sucks sometimes. I wish I knew what I did to piss her off. Plus, this wouldn't hurt so badly if I didn't have a dick and balls.

"Jared!" I turn to see Angelica smiling as she walks over to me. "You were doing great today."

"I spent the last ten minutes, wincing in the fetal position," I remind her. She rolls her eyes, not caring about the truth, it seems.

"But before that, you were doing excellent. You really took control. You were a great birthing partner. I wish you were mine," she says, her eyes won't look away from me, so I do that for us, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the staring. I like to look around when I talk and I feel very uneasy when I'm talking to someone who always _has_ to look people in the eye.

"Thank you, I thought I sucked, personally."

"Oh, no, you were showing up the other men in here."

"You mean the other _dads_?" Kim comes up to my side and slides her coat-arm around my bare one. "Not to mention they're _husbands_."

Angelica's smile freezes slightly. "Well yes, of course. Jared will be an amazing dad. So dedicated and loving, I can see it now."

"You don't know him. He could be a horrible father who beats his kids," Kim snaps.

"I won't beat my kids!" I say, outraged. Kim squeezes my arms, but that doesn't reassure me.

"I'm a great judge of character," Angelica insists. "Jared will be great."

"I think otherwise," Kim steps closer to her.

"Kim!" I say. I'm very confused right now. For the past six months she's been telling me I'll be awesome, now she's taking it all back in front of a complete stranger!

"You don't trust your husband?" Angelica says in a way that I feel as if I'm missing something. They're staring intently at one another and it reminds me of...the pack. They're staring one another down in a very territorial fashion, staking their claim. This is their land.

And then suddenly it clicks. Kim is jealous.

"Alright! Alright! Look at the time, Kim, it's time for me to go to bed, you know how I get if I don't get my beauty sleep. Bye, Angelica. Thank you," I'm pulling Kim away rather forcefully, I grab my coat, then drag her to the door.

"Oh yeah! We're having twins!" Kim shouts out before I pull her through the door. I take her down the stairs holding onto her tightly, we're silent. When we go down three flights and make it through the main floor and out of the building, she tears herself away from me.

"That was pretty funny," I say about what just happened. I thought it was obvious, but I have to make it clear that I had no idea she felt threatened until the last second. I mean, I would never have led that on as long as I did.

"Funny," she scoffs. Whoa, someone is in a bad mood, and it's my entire fault.

"Can I just say: I didn't know you were jealous until the last few seconds? Just before I dragged you outta there kicking and screaming."

"I didn't kick. And I wouldn't call it 'jealous', I would call it -," she starts.

"Territorial?" I finish. "Look, I've seen that all with the pack before, hell, I've been the defensive one, you think I like your Dr. Hottie examining you every week?"

"'Dr. Hottie'? You can't be serious. That's the most uncomfortable, awkward thing ever. Sure, at first I noticed his looks, but now he's seen a side of me that I can never find sexy in our relationship. Our _doctor-patient_ relationship," she clarifies.

"Either way, he's sticking things up your vagina. As far as I'm concerned, that should be my job."

"You're not a doctor!"

"I'm just saying."

"Well, Dr. Hottie has an excuse, it's purely professional. _Angelica_ was invading your personal bubble and touching your stomach, breathing in your ear. That's _not_ part of her job description – hitting on the hot husbands!"

I smirk. "Well, I can't help it if I'm hot. Ow!" I receive a smack to the arm. It didn't really hurt, but I reflexively exclaim a confirmation that it 'hurt', just for her self-esteem.

"Did you even notice she was making advances?"

I thought about this. "Nope. I just thought she was being the teacher. I don't know the regular distance a teacher and its students have?"

"Teacher's do not make the moves on students. Just so you can remember this in the future. God, I hope you didn't believe this in high school," she eyes me carefully. We're already in the car, driving home. I keep my mouth closed, not wanting to bring any of this up. "Well?"

I shrug.

She persists. "Did you have an affair with a teacher once, Jared?"

Oh for God's sake. "Yeah."

This is what I didn't want, this silence as she learns of my sexual past. It's horrible and I've spent the past ten years keeping it a secret from her. She doesn't have to know this. All I want or think about is her now, but for a woman, that isn't enough.

"You _slept_ with a teacher, Jared?" her voice is dangerous. I'm on a mine-field; I have to be careful where I tread. How I word things...

"I..." that's all I can say. Stupid.

"Jared."

"Let's just say, I now know the student-teacher relationship."

"You know now, doesn't change the fact that you didn't know then. How old were you?"

"Kim, let's not talk about this. You'll only get upset. Your blood pressure is already pretty high -," I say.

"How old were you?" she repeats. No getting out of this one.

"Sixteen," I sigh.

"Which teacher?"

I hesitate. This is rather embarrassing. "Mrs. Goodenough."

"_Mrs. Goodenough?" _Yep, I knew it would get that type of reaction. "She was married, Jared. She had two kids! She was in her forties when we were at school."

"And she loved me," I say slowly.

"Is that why she left?"

"Probably."

She thinks it over; her face is contorted into one of disbelief. "Did you love her?"

"Nope." I thought I did at the time, but when I compare that to the love I feel for Kim, it's nothing. I know it wasn't love I felt for Mrs. Goodenough. It was lust, mixed in with 'we could get caught'.

"Did anyone ever find out?"

"Nope." I'm keeping my eyes on the road. Simple, one word answers, will save me through all of this. "Well, my sister."

"That's why she left."

"Yep."

She nodded, not taking her eyes away from me. "Was she...'good enough'?"

I try not to, but I can't help it – I laugh.

"Stop it, I'm serious. I want an answer."

"Kim, I can't even remember."

She seems to have let it go, when I hear her small voice "am _I _good enough?"

The way she says it, breaks my heart. "Aw, baby, come here," I pull her into my side, kiss her head, but I can't help but chuckle.

"Don't laugh."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. That was the cutest thing," I say, not being able to help the smile from taking over my features.

"It wasn't meant to be cute..." She's waiting.

"You're great enough. Amazing enough. Perfect enough."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It does to me."

She snuggles closer. "I guess that's a good enough answer."

"Good."

We drive the rest of the way in comfortable silence as we think about the day, our future and I think about Kim, mostly. When we're about five minutes away from home, she sits up, ready to say something, I can tell.

"Have you thought about baby names?"

No. "Sure." I think it's better if I lie and say I have thought about it. Is it so wrong that all I ever really think about is Kim? I mean, I'm excited for the babies, sure, it's just...Kim's my imprint, my life. She is what occupies most of my thoughts. Kim read to me from something that a woman becomes a mother when she's pregnant; a man becomes a father when he sees his child. I'm hoping that will be the way for me. Otherwise, I'm a horrible father, like she said I would be. I know she just said that in contrast to Angelica's word, but it made me wonder if that were true. I definitely would never beat my children, but would I be horrible in other ways?

"Like what?" she continues. Oh, right, baby names.

"Jared."

"Jared, Jr.? Absolutely not."

I'm not too choked up about that, I just said the first thing that came to mind, which was my own name.

"What else?"

Quick, think. It's hard when I'm put on the spot. "Ooh, look. There's our house!" I dramatically, lean forward over the steering wheel, and obviously point to our home. I pull up in the driveway, which is pretty much our front lawn. I turn off the engine, then quickly exit the car, race around the front of it and open the door for Kim. She gets out and looks up at me expectantly.

"What other names?"

"What names have _you_ thought of?" I counter, hoping it will work.

"Oh, I don't know. A few, but none of them feel right, you know?"

"Totally, same here. None of them feel right." I open the door and we step into the house, turning on all the lights. She stakes off her shoes, then walks straight to the kitchen.

"You hungry?"

"Always." I follow her through the living room, our dining room, then our kitchen. It's all just one big open space, so I never really know what I should call it but the first floor.

As I sat at the table, watching Kim make us something to eat, I can't help but stare at her stomach and wonder in astonishment how there are two baby boys in there. I don't get it, nor do I think I'll understand it anymore once they're out, but what I do know is I love her and eventually, I will love them too. Kim glanced over her shoulder and smiled beautifully at me, making me feel as if everything was going to be okay even if we didn't exactly have the money to afford everything, we could make it work. She just told me all of that with her smile.

**R/R!**


	6. The Burnt Pants

**AN: I'm hoping Kim will be much nicer after this chapter. Maybe babies born next chapter? Suggestions for boy names are welcome :D**

Chapter 6: The Burnt Pants

_It takes a lot to phase me  
I'm pretty stable, I'm pretty sane.  
But I'm looking at my future,  
And God do I have to lose her?  
We shared conversations on how we're all just floating  
Through space and nothing matters.  
I'm looking for a pattern._

Is it possible to say,  
Baby lets run away to the East Coast?  
Or Seattle? Corpus? Or Saint Marcus?  
I've got a credit card, and a reliable car.  
Let's drive...  
- Madi Don't Leave by PlayRadioPlay!

"Don't you think Embry is moving a little fast? I mean, he only met her three months ago and he's already marrying the girl," I say, fiddling with my tie. You'd think after the amount of pack weddings I've attended over the past several years, I'd be good at tying a silly tie. But, no. I struggled. Sadly.

Alas, at this point, I was just talking to myself, seeing as how Kim has been lying on the bed for the past hour, crying. I'd given up trying to comfort her about ten minutes ago. We were going to be late for the wedding. It started in twenty minutes and Kim wasn't ready. She had her hair half done up, and her make-up nowhere near being put on. She was wearing the dress she bought for the wedding, but other than that she was still a mess with tear streaks plastered onto her beautiful face.

I turn from the full length mirror placed in the corner of our room, to Kim who had a pillow thrown over her head to hide herself from me.

"Do you want a banana or something?" I ask, stupidly. Lately she'd been craving the fruit, so I figured maybe that's why she was crying since she wouldn't _fucking tell me when I asked her about a billion times! _Breathe in...and out.

She throws the pillow angrily at me, I push it away before it can reach the intended target (my face) and it flops on the floor.

"Why the fuck would I want a banana Jared? God! You're so insensitive!" She pulls herself up into a sitting position. Yes, now we can finally get a move on. She wavers onto her feet, due to her huge-ass belly. It was so big right now, that I was afraid she'd fall over onto it because of the weight. She'd cried herself to sleep last week when she'd realized she'd gained thirty-one pounds in the past six months. This pregnancy was not easy on her, especially lately. She had been extremely emotional recently to the point where every step I took could potentially be a bomb hidden beneath the surface ticking in wait for me to screw up. She wobbles on her feet and throws open our closet door, rifling through the hanged clothes.

"I thought you liked bananas."

She turns viciously around, glaring. I've gotten used to the glares by now, they don't faze me at all. "I hate bananas."

Well that was true in some ways, she never cared for them when she wasn't pregnant. But why would she say that after the past three weeks involved me running out to the store to buy her stupid bananas in November.

"Kim, we have to hurry up the wedding starts in twenty minutes."

"_Why didn't you tell me?_" She shrieks, tearing off as fast as she could – which wasn't fast at all in my eyes – to the bathroom down the hall, where she slammed the door. Tears and slamming doors; that's what I've been dealing with. I realize that it's no use; Kim is in too much of a mood to help me with my tie, as I toss it to the floor. I sat there feeling quite useless until I hear a frustrated cry from Kim. Alarmed, I sped walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"I'm fine! They're just kicking! I don't know if it's with one another or their kicking their mother because they hate her!"

"They don't hate you!"

"Just get ready!" she snaps.

Oh, how I love my wife. And this pregnancy. Hormones are fun. After the bathroom door hit my bottom on my way out, I decided to wait in front of the door as the time ticked closer and closer to the wedding. I pondered whether I should tell Kim this, but thought better of it when I heard loud thumping from the bathroom and mutterings of hateful words.

Finally, with the wedding starting in three minutes and the ceremony a good ten minutes away by car, Kim descended down the stairs.

"You think you're so moody because the testosterone of the boys is mixing with your oestrogen creating a psycho mix of hell for your husband?" I opened my mouth and promptly closed it once I realized how much of an idiot I was for saying this.

She smiled meekly and grabbed her purse on the bureau. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"No," I say sourly.

"Good then, I won't have to take it back," she says smoothly and walks past me out the door.

I stay there frozen for a couple minutes, my hands clenching and unclenching, I flex my jaw, I take deep breaths as I slowly start to feel my patience slip away. I hate pregnancy. I hate it. I hate it. How badly I want to relieve my built up anger, but I find myself unable to come up with a good solution on where to dish it out. I can't on my wife. That's wrong.

Coming to an understanding with myself that I would be the perfect husband today, I exit the house and close the door behind me, only to turn around to find the car gone. Kim took the car to the wedding without me. The wedding which started five minutes ago.

Feeling very much discouraged by my wife's words and abandonment, I didn't hurry. I walked slowly thinking over everything I must be doing wrong. I didn't know how I could do her right or the babies when she was yelling at me all the time. It felt like nothing I ever did was good enough for her. Were these her true feelings or her hormones? Her fucking, life-sucking hormones. Walking at the pace I'm going, slows me down exponentially and when I finally arrive at Sam and Emily's house where Embry's wedding party is convened in the backyard, the crowd is dispersing around the house cheering the newly wedded couple on. I missed the ceremony and I'm too down to care.

I catch a glimpse of Kim in her purple dress. Having nowhere else to go, I shuffle over to her, keeping my head down as I stand by her. Cheers and cries of congratulations resound throughout the yard, as storm clouds tumble across the sky, threatening to throw rain on us. Luckily last night we organized the tents near the beach for the reception. It was going to be warm and dry in the large tents we had saved up from previous wedding parties over the years.

"Uncle Jared!" I hear a scream of excitement and I turn around quickly to see Nora, Sam and Emily's four year old daughter, bound toward me, throwing her arms around my legs. "Where were you?" she asks. Through my peripheral vision I see Kim take a couple steps away, her fear of children a reminder to my conflicted thoughts about us as parents. We were going to be awful.

"I was here the whole time," I defend myself to the child. She tugs at my pants and I throw her onto my shoulders where she's now pounding on my head, giggling and laughing. "Let's head down to the tents, shall we? Hey, Emily! I've got Nora!" I say to Emily who only just noticed her daughter wasn't playing where she thought she was. Emily nods in relief and smiles at us.

As we make our way over to the beach, Leah comes up to my left side, with Kim on my right, silent.

"Hey guys. Whoa, Kim those babies sure are growing fast aren't they?" Leah stares at her stomach wide eyed. I wish we were wolves so I could send Leah an alert, "Warning! Warning! Pregnant, vengeful, hormonal lady who wants to make everyone suffer! Warning!" But, I didn't. I couldn't. I wished Kim wouldn't say anything with Nora here, but I could see the flash of annoyance on my wife's face.

"Whoa, Leah," she mocked. "Are you still alone?"

"Hey, Kim!" I'm appalled at her words and Leah, looks as if she's been slapped in the face. "Leah, I'm so sorry, she's in a mood today," I apologize.

"Mood!" Nora sings in echo.

Leah shakes her head, as she composes her features. "Yeah, whatever. I'll see you around Jared," she stops and turns around in the other direction.

"Kim, I can't believe you just said that!" I can feel my disbelief getting the better of me. I can't wrap my head around her horrible words. My Kim would never treat anybody that way. My Kim was nice and sweet, now those demons in her belly were making her act out or something.

"She called me fat," Kim's brow is furrowed as she looks about as unsorry as anyone can look.

"She did not! She was nearly remarking on the size of your belly which has every right to be large seeing as how you're carrying twins," I say through gritted teeth, trying not to rise up an argument in front of the preschooler.

She stops and looks at me deeply upset. "I can't believe you're being so insensitive," she whispers.

"If it ain't the pot calling the kettle black," I respond. Rightfully so, she turns and marches back up the hill away from me.

"Are you guys gonna break up?" Nora clutches my hair, mussing it up.

"No, but she might kill me," I say, forgetting that I'm speaking to a kid.

"I don't want you to die," she wraps her arms around my head in a tight grip.

"There was a time Kim felt the same. Not anymore. Not today," I remark in remembrance. The girl doesn't really get what I'm going on about, but I like it that way. Eventually through a gap in the trees we can see the tents, coming closer. We reach them and I bend down a bit so we can fit through the entrance and the music is already blaring. The tables are set for placement and already quite a few people are settled waiting for the new bride and groom. I can see Nessie at a table, playing with a fork and Jacob all the way near the DJ's booth talking with Paul. At least I wasn't the only one who seemed to be having problems with his woman. Although, I knew all about Jacob's anxieties with the young half-human, half-vampire.

I place down Nora and she runs off to Claire who is sitting at the same table as Nessie with Quil. I make my way over to Jacob and Paul. More people pile into the tent, including Kim who is walking right beside Rachel. Paul glances over at his wife.

"What's wrong with Kim? She looks all angry," Paul notices.

"Babies," I say simply.

"Yeah, I heard Emily saying that she's never seen anyone be so bitchy while pregnant," Paul says. Angered by his insult toward my wife, I punch him in the face and he falls to the ground. Few people notice since it's not uncommon for one of us to lose our tempers at a wedding. Jacob doesn't flinch as he sips at his drink.

Sighing, I help Paul up and we don't mention the punch again. "Is she healthy then?" Jacob asks.

"Yeah, so it seems. Though maybe not mentally. I think the baby is seriously affecting her," I say, watching Kim converse with Rachel who looks irritable herself. Kim is fanning herself, looking rather flushed in the cheeks.

Jacob nods along like he knows what I'm saying. But he doesn't. "Mental," he says, and I see his eyes flicker over to his imprint who looks quite miserable. Jacob takes a swig of his drink and I see it is an alcoholic beverage, which doesn't have too much of an effect on werewolves. Paul had tested to see how many beers it would take before he got tipsy and the results were fifteen. Jacob looked to be only beginning. Maybe he _did_ know what I was speaking of, in a way. It felt good to not be alone.

I hear a frustrated mumble and Rachel storms over to us, taking a spot by Paul who puts an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder soothingly without even having to think about it.

"That wife of yours is impossible lately!" Rachel snaps at me.

"Three more months," I say.

"It can't come any sooner," Rachel agrees. "She is insane. One minute she's complaining about you and how horrible you are, the next she's crying over how much she loves you and now she's insulting me! What is _wrong_ with her?"

"It's one of those days," I try to help, but know it's no use. "It's best if everyone just steers clear of her today. She's on the warpath. Which is why, I am over here," I say, nodding to the two guys who are staring off into different spots, not really paying attention to my conversation with Rachel.

"Yeah well better keep her away from the bride or she might make her cry on her special day," Rachel says, pulling Paul's hand away and leading him to their table which I didn't doubt we'd be sharing with them.

"Yeah, I better take my seat too," Jacob says, walking over to Nessie.

I feel a wave of dread wash over me as I look over at the table that Kim is already sitting at, with Paul and a hostile Rachel. Emily, Sam, Owen and Nora sit at the very same table. Owen sits beside Kim, who frowns at this seating placement. I walk over and sit on her other side, resting my arm on the back of her chair out of habit. I see her tense shoulders relax slightly and I feel victorious as I see she has warmed up to me a bit since our argument ten minutes ago. I let out a sigh of relief.

"It's so hot in here," she complains.

"Just wait until you start dancing," Emily leans forward in her chair, a happy smile on her distorted face.

"Who said anything about dancing?" Kim asks.

"Dancing is great fun at weddings," Emily is unaware of Kim's shortness.

"No, it's not."

"Kim," I mutter a warning. She pushes my hand off the back of the chair and it hangs limply by my side. I sigh again.

"Stop sighing," she orders.

Applause is heard throughout the tent as we all welcome Embry, Lydia and Boone into their reception as one big happy family. Hollers and cries are echoed among many different people as they take their seat at a completely different table, in the center of the other tables. We all clap until their sitting and the food is brought out and presented to each of us.

"Momma, I don't want veggies," Owen pouts. Emily shakes her head and points to the broccoli covered in cheese.

"Owen, we discussed this before we came," Emily brought out her motherly tone, which she carried on with the wolf pack too.

The two kids picked at their food. Fascinated I watched, while I ate my own.

"This tastes funny," Nora mentions.

"Stop it the both of you," Emily stresses.

"I'm not eating it," Owen puts down his fork and crosses his arms.

"Listen to your mother," Sam's commanding voice finalizes the argument. Upset, Owen picks up his fork and continues to work around the vegetables.

I watch all of this and Kim at the same time. She pretends that none of that just happened. She eats away, in a very particular way. I notice she's barely eating herself.

"Are you feeling alright?" I ask, speaking lowly so only she can hear.

"Why?"

"You're not eating much. Come on, the babies need it."

"Shut up."

Paul snorts into his food. My misery is hilarious to him. Well it's not to me! I grip my fork and wonder if I can get away with stabbing him in the shoulder. Hmm...oh right, there's kids present. I miss the days when we were all werewolves without kids. We could have healed from a brawl in seconds, now it could take hours and eventually it might take days. Well at least I can imagine hurting him.

I stare off into the white tent for a long while and when I look down back at my food it's gone. Someone took it from me. Dancing is starting.

"Wanna dance with me, Uncle Jared?" Nora slips off the chair and moves over to me. I look up to see Emily smile at me warmly. Kim has left the table and is walking around, probably looking for someone else she can piss off.

"Yeah, sure I can dance like nobody else," I brag, picking her up and swinging her around. After dancing with Nora for about another seven more songs, I finally put her on her feet and begged for her permission to let me go for just a little while. Reluctantly she agreed, glaring at me a bit as well. I went outside, feeling quite hot.

"Jared!" I look over to see Claire skipping toward me. "When'd you get the cast off?" I hadn't seen her much lately, and she looked more grown up so quickly. I must have only seen her about three months ago. Puberty. At least she won't grow nearly as fast as we did when we had the change or even Nessie who grew fully in seven years.

"A while back, Claire. Where've you been?" I ask, walking with her to Quil and Jacob who were sitting on a log, the rain had cleared for the moment, but it was nice to get some cool air onto my face.

"School," she shrugged. "Nothing much. I've been pretty bored, lately."

"She got an F on her report card," Quil interfered, looking rather bothered by this mark.

"So? Quil you had to retake grade nine maths in the summer," Jacob helps out, giving Quil a look.

"Well, she's smarter than me," Quil narrowed his eyes at Jacob for revealing this.

"What'd you flunk, Claire?" I ask.

She looks annoyed at Quil for telling this. "It was just for Instrumental. The teacher hates me. I broke the violin. Well, actually, _Quil_ broke it," Claire said, snootily.

"So, it's my fault you failed?" Quil crosses his arms.

"You guys sound like a married couple already," Jacob frowns.

"Ew, gross, I'm only thirteen," Claire turns away back toward the tent, deciding that the November chill was not for her anymore.

"She's only thirteen, Quil," Jacob teased.

"Says you. At least I imprinted on her when she could speak," Quil says bitterly.

Jacob looks unbothered by this. "Hey, at least I only waited seven years before I got laid. You've got like another five, or until she decides she wants you," Jacob shook his head.

"Don't be an asshole," Quil grumbles, kicking a soggy stick away from us. I laugh out loud. "Oh and what makes you think you're in a better position? Your wife hates you," Quil snaps.

"She doesn't hate me! She hates pregnancy," I clarify, feeling a bit of a sting at Quil's words.

"Which leads to you," Jacob adds.

"Fuck you. At least I've been talking to my imprint for the past six months. Yours has been ignoring you," I snap.

"Oooh," Quil whispers, looking rather shocked by my statement. Nessie has always been a very sensitive subject for Jacob, especially recently.

Jacob's body freezes and his easy-going attitude changes into the Alpha male. "Say that again," his voice is deep and commanding. But his orders don't affect me like they used to. A little, maybe. I can feel my body and mouth working to repeat it, but my brain is fighting.

"You heard me," I say.

Jacob takes a few steps toward me and I almost bounce on my feet, itching for a fight. "I've been wanting to beat someone down for months, Jared. You better back away, I've got a lot of built up anger."

"As do I," I reply.

Quil looks rather alarmed by the change in atmosphere. "Jared, you're not a wolf anymore..."

"Quil, shut up," Jacob and I say at the same time. We want this. There's no stopping now.

"Hey! What's going on?" Sam exits the tent, looking at us. "No fighting."

"Stop me," Jacob threatens. Sam and Jacob have never really gotten over their little power struggle. It's been years, and Sam even retired, but it was a force of habit that they both tried to stop.

"I'm not going to. I'm merely...suggesting. Jared isn't as untouchable as he used to be."

"Can everyone stop saying that?" I grit my teeth feeling the agitation add fuel to the fire burning inside of me. The need to fight.

"Do you need us to bring Kim out here and put an end to this?" Sam asks.

Fuck. I relax against my will at the sound of her name. "Fine," I turn back, rubbing my chin, trying to find my center.

Jacob is irritated for being interrupted. "Whatever."

Paul emerges from inside and grins at all of us, pulling up his pants a bit. "You know what we can do?"

"No," Jacob disagrees before Paul even suggests.

Paul ignores him. "I've got fireworks," he beams.

"No," Jacob repeats.

"Psh, you're not the boss of me. Oh, that felt good to say." What seemed like was out of nowhere, Paul pulls out a few complicated looking fireworks along with a lighter.

"This is going to end badly," Quil remarks, staring warily at Paul and the lighter. Sam returns back to the wedding, not interested in the disaster that was no doubt going to transpire. Before anyone of us can tell Paul we're uninterested in the fireworks, he lights one off, while it's still in his hand.

"Oh fuck!"

Why is it always me?

"His reflexes are shot too," I hear Jacob say as I'm the only one who cares to put out the fire on my ass. There goes my suit.

"Ouch! Paul you dumb fuck!" I shout. Paul looks rather shocked, but then turns over into laughter. I pat my bum repeatedly, trying to get rid of the small fire that's accumulated. Fire hurts. For future reference.

"Haha, I totally saw that coming," I hear him say happily.

"Die! If you have any liking for me at all! You'll die!"

"Why don't you sit down?" Quil suggests.

I throw myself onto the damp sand and hear it singe out, smoke flying up from my ass. Paul is doubled over in laughter and Jacob smiles at me, highly amused.

"I'm going to kill you," I announce.

"Jared! Can you come back inside?" I look to see Kim staring at me rather pointedly. I get up, putting their beatings away for another day and follow my wife back to the reception. "What happened to your pants?"

"Caught on fire."

"Oh." As she leads me across the dance floor, I get the idea that maybe she wants to dance. But when I grab her hand readying to spin her, she yanks it out of my grasp before it can go any further. Aw jeez. "I think Leah is real mad at me. Can you talk to her for me?" she asks.

"She has a right to be mad, Kim," I say. My wife does not like this.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. Look. Leah looks happy. Jake's dancing with her now," I say waving over to the two of them. Leah sees this but doesn't wave back, instead she looks at us angrily.

"See," Kim slaps my arm. "Fine, whatever. I don't care," she turns and waddles over to the tables. I watch her sit next to Nessie. I hear Paul laughing madly behind me as he throws a hand on my shoulder.

"What the hell did you do to that woman? She's miserable," he notes.

"Thanks Paul," I say glumly, looking away from Kim; it's too painful to watch her at the moment. I'm so devastated by the turn of events. If you told me a year ago that my wife would learn to resent me, I'd probably laugh in your face. And yet, here I was, receiving the hate.

"You can punch me in the face again if it will help," he suggests, sticking out his chin to me. I look at him seriously, considering how it would make me feel. I decide to hit him anyway; I pull back my arm, when Embry dances by with his wife.

"No. Not on _my_ wedding day," he dances out of view, and regrettably, I drop my hand.

"He doesn't want the new wife to be exposed to us. We're an embarrassment." Paul hands me a drink and I gulp it down in seconds, wiping my mouth afterward.

Quil and Claire joined us. Well, it was mostly Quil, on account of Claire was yawning and snuggling into Quil's side, unable to keep her eyes open much longer.

"I think we're gonna go," Quil says, nodding to Claire.

"No, I'm fine," she forces herself to perk up and looks at us innocently.

"Doesn't sleep sound so nice, though?" I ask Claire, who shakes her head stubbornly. Well, it does to me. I hope I'm not forced onto the couch again tonight.

"There's so much going on. I don't want to miss anything," she protests. But just by the way her eyes are half open, one can tell that she won't last much longer.

"Well, whether you decide to fight off sleep or not," I start, glancing back at Kim who is asleep in her chair, making me smile. "Kim and I are heading home so she can sleep in her bed." I kiss Claire on the cheek and say goodbye to Paul and Quil before moving across the tent to my wife who is ignored by a loving Nessie and Jake. I notice that Nessie has placed her purse as a sort of pillow for Kim and I'm warmed at the kindness someone has shown her when she has been so rude today.

"Aw, Ness!" I say. "Did you do this?"

Jacob has got his arms wrapped around Nessie tightly, refusing to let her go so she could talk to me. But I see her nod.

"Thanks, you're very kind to her. She hasn't been very nice to people tonight. Her hormones have been as unpredictable as Paul's temper," I say, leaning over and gently shaking my wife. "Honey, wake up. We're going home, now." Kim squirms, squinting her eyes.

"Go away," she murmurs, pushing my hand away.

"Kim, let's go home, I think our bed is calling to you," I try to help. Kim often says this phrase when she's ready for sleep. I always find it so endearing that she believes our bed speaks to her in such ways. Then again, she could be joking.

She moves her head to the side and the bag falls to the ground. I watch, desperately, her head snap back in a rather painful matter. There was no way I could have prevented that. "Ow!" she exclaims and my heart strains at her pain. She blinks a few times before tears well up into her eyes at a frightening speed. "I'm such a bitch!" she exclaims, falling into her hands in unstoppable tears.

How did it end this way? Seriously, I'm done. No more. I want sleep just as badly as Claire now. My eyes are drooping and I really really can't handle this anymore.

"Jared, you and I both imprinted on bitches. What are the chances?" Jacob says. His woman is happy, so the why in the hell is he still picking on me and mine?

"Fuck off, Black," I say, feeling sick of his condescending ways today. I crouch down and proceed to pry Kim's hands from her face so I can dry her tears. I can't stand to see her cry. Especially over something like this. How many more weeks until the babies are born? 13 weeks? The dreaded number thirteen...

Bad luck.

Hell.

It may as well be six, six, six, because that's what it feels like. I have made the spawn of Satan and it's growing in my wife's belly, here to torment me for the remainder of the trimester.

"Let's get away, I don't want to hear her snivelling and Jared's sweet nothings," Jacob says. I'm thrown back into my anger that I had experienced earlier today. I know Jake just said that to provoke me, but I didn't appreciate it. Leaving Kim behind me, I step forward and pick up the chair that was pleading with me to throw. Jacob is walking away with Nessie's in his arms, but seeing that I can safely get away with hitting him without hurting her, I hurtle the chair at his back, feeling triumphant as he stops dead. "If your wife wasn't pregnant, I'd kick your ass, Jared."

"Sure, blame it on the wife. Truth is, you're scared to fight me, Jake," I gloat, feeling powerful. Before we can actually get a chance to fight, Nessie is dragging Jake away ordering him not to fight at his friends wedding. There hasn't been one wedding any of us pack members have had yet that didn't involve fisticuffs.

I return to my wife who is still crying. I pull her to her feet. She can't seem to get her hands off of her face as she becomes more hysterical, causing a scene.

"Kim, baby, come on. We're going home," I hide her under my arm, leading her out of the tent, past Jacob and Nessie and up the hill to our car.

"I'm sorry, Jared. I love you, so much." At least, I think that's what she said. I hope that's what she said, it's just hard to tell with all the blubbering and the muffled voice on account of her head pressed into my suit jacket.

I help her into the car, catching a glimpse of her face which is red, puffy and tear-streaked. I get into the driver's seat and start the car.

"Everyone hates me," she squeals.

"Nobody hates you."

"My babies do!"

"Kim, no, no, no, they love you. Adore you. They think the world of you because right now you _are_ their world, without you they'd have nothing to hate, because they'd be nothing," I think over what I'd just said, unsure if it made sense. She seemed to get it – she cried harder.

"Nothing?"

"Well, I couldn't make them myself now, could I?" I scramble for words of comfort, but am coming up blank.

I hear a small giggle, escape in between her heavy breathing.

"Is that a laugh?"

She nods, tears still streaming down her face, but I see a smile.

"Oh, thank God!" I exclaim. "Do you forgive me?"

She nods.

"Do you love me?"

She nods again, tears falling down her face faster as she stares at me intently.

"Do you want my babies?"

"Yes!" she sobs, glowing in a way I haven't seen at all during her pregnancy. I pull the car to a stop, lean over and kiss her jubilantly, feeling so happy that I'm quite certain my heart might burst.

"i want your babies too," I laugh. And she laughs. And we kiss again.

And then someone ruins the moment by honking at us to get a move on. I look in the rear view mirror and see that it's Paul and Rachel. I flip him off, kiss my wife again, and drive us home to our calling bed.

**R/R!!**


	7. The Lost Screw

**AN: This was written in about an hour and all off the top of my head. I was not expecting any of this. I hope you like. Thanks for your time. And don't forget to read and review!**

Chapter 7: The Lost Screw

_Bill, I love you so, I always will  
I look at you and see the passion eyes of May  
Oh, but am I ever gonna see my wedding day  
I was on your side Bill when you were loosin'  
I never scheme or lie Bill, there's been no foolin'  
But kisses and love won't carry me till you marry me Bill  
-Wedding Bell Blues by Fifth Dimension_

"Step five," I said aloud. "Attach the metal mattress base (part five) to the scissor assembly (part 6) using screw D and nut H as shown in figure BB. Tighten fully." I looked down at the crib. Well, at least what I had completed so far. There wasn't much to go by, but I was getting along. This assembly stuff was getting more and more frustrating. I had just taken apart the crib. I had gotten to being eighty percent done when I realized I had made quite the mistake and disassembled it. I started from the beginning after ranting and raving to Kim who was relaxing on the couch downstairs. Cursing up a storm, I returned to the spare bedroom that we were preparing for as a nursery. Last weekend I had asked for help from Paul and Quil who painted the two rooms with me. Kim had chosen the colour 'Social Butterfly', which was supposed to be a different name for the colour yellow. I had two problems with this: 1. what kind of name was that? And how did a butterfly connect to the colour yellow? 2. Never have I ever seen a man who would paint their bedroom yellow. So I never understood it as being a neutral colour for boys and girls. I mean, I guess it doesn't matter if you're a baby or gay. But I still don't get it. I mean, when the boys get older – at about four, they won't want the room to be yellow. They'll ask for a regular colour for boys, like blue or green. In fact I saw this one green that would have looked super cool in Kim's paint colour deck. It was called 'Outrageous Green'. Kim vetoed it, quickly enough.

Focusing back on the task at hand, I realized that I seemed to have misplaced screw D. I lifted the Spanish version of the instructions, to see if it might be hiding there. Nope. I moved around a plastic bag. Nope. I stood up, to see if I had perhaps sat on it. No, sir. I scratched my head, looking for screw D, while consulting the manual to see exactly what it looked like. I moved around the box, pushed aside the completed part of the crib, and could not find it in my surrounding area, as I began searching the other side, I looked up to see Kim looking thoughtfully around the room, leaning against the door frame.

"Kim, what are you doing? You're supposed to be getting rest!" I cry. Last week we had visited the doctor who had told us that he would prefer it if Kim would take it easy and stay off her feet as much as she could. So I had been very strict lately. She shook her head, a smile crossing her features.

"I'm just checking on your new progress. And thinking. I don't like this colour anymore," she says, pointing at the walls.

I throw up my hands in exasperation. "I told you it was ugly!"

"What do you know about decorating, Jared?" she teases.

"A shit load of nothing. But yellow is not good for a boys room!"

"Yeah, I see that now," she admits.

Shaking my head, I decide to keep my mouth shut. It's only the stress of the babies being born in a few weeks and the crib assembling that's making me short.

"So you want to repaint it?" I sigh, closing my eyes in defeat.

"No, no. Maybe next year, when they're a year. It's too late now," she steps in the room to comfort me, when I suddenly see screw D. Only, it's too late for me to grab, as I watch Kim step on it. I watch. It hasn't quite sunk in that her stepping on it could be dire, until she lets out a screech and I hear a crack. Maybe she couldn't. But I did. I look up, and she's falling over from the pain. Snapping back to the situation, I reach out and grab her, cradling her in my right arm. I lower her to the ground, as I sit down, myself. Her eyes are tightly closed, and her teeth are gritted in pain. Tears are escaping from her shut lids. She's holding her breath, waiting out the agony.

I slide a hand through her hair. "Alright, we'll be going to the hospital," I announce. She's silent. "Breathe, Kim. Come on," I say soothingly.

She hisses and opens her eyes blinking. "What was that?" her voice wobbles. She lets out a small sob of suffering and looks down at what she stepped on.

"Screw D," I said.

"What?"

"Alright, let's go," I hoist both of us up, rather impressively. Kim is too distracted by her broken big toe to compliment me on my little manoeuvre. I leave the crib behind, happily. I try to exit the room, but she freezes up.

"I can't walk," she tells me. I look down at her foot, and notice her big toe being in an odd position, swelling up and decidedly purple. I wonder how much of my left-over werewolf strength can carry the pregnant woman of twins, but I don't think about it too much as I bend over and whisk her into my arms, like a new bride. I'm proud to say that despite losing majority of my werewolf extra powers, I still have quite some strength. It's hard to admit that I struggled. I didn't show her though. I smiled brightly at her. She did not look pleased with my smile seeing as how she was miserable.

Down the stairs was a bit difficult but I somehow managed. I looked at the door and wondered how I could open it.

"I need my purse," she mutters.

"Right," I turn around and head past the living room and to the kitchen where her purse sits on the counter by the sugar and honey jars. She reaches over and scoops it onto her arm and resting it on her belly.

"Oh, this hurts!" she hisses, scrunching up her face.

Like a dumbass, I say, "Just wait till you give birth."

She opens her eyes and gives me an 'are you kidding me?' look. I close my mouth, audibly, and use my arm that's under her legs to open our front door. I close it behind me, and Kim reaches over to lock the door for us. It had snowed last night, the last week of January. There wasn't a lot, since the ground was damp, but there was a bit. And ice. A whole lot of ice. I was careful with my steps. I didn't need to fall and drop her. That would be a disaster. I don't think this day can get any worse, I remind myself. After the mishap with the crib, and losing screw D and then Kim breaking her toe, it was safe to say things could only get better. I get her to the car as I feel my arms shake from the weight. I pretend I'm not struggling at all as I set her down on the ground. She leans against the car, waiting for me to open the door. I help her slide into her seat and close the door behind her. I jog around the car, get in and start it.

"How you doing?" I ask.

She winces; her hands on her stomach, her foot placed strategically on her heel so there will be no collision with it and the ground. "I don't know."

"What don't you know?" My brows furrow, as I glance over at her.

She's staring at me too. She's so beautiful, with her eyebrows raised, her eyes glistening, her lips turned down into a frown. My heart stutters as I lose myself in her eyes. She looks away and gasps.

Before I can see what she's staring out through our front window, we collide with a deer. My first concern is for Kim as the deer pounds into the car, the airbags explode into my face. The deer flies over the hood and smashes into the glass, then tumbles over the roof and onto the ground to the right side of the car. My second thought is _can I be anymore stupid?_ My third pondering is Kim. Kim. I felt the glass hit my skin as it flew into the front seat. I got a few cuts. I couldn't imagine what Kim – Kim? I see her eyes closed, lightly, not in pain, but peaceful. My heart stutters again – but not out of love, well not in that way. But out of fear. And anger. And crippling emotional pain.

"Kim?" I say slowly. I unbuckle my seat belt. I push the airbag away from me as it deflates. I lean over her, check to see if she's breathing. I see her leg has gone slack, her broken toe, touching the floor. I touch her cheek. It takes a second for it to register that she is bleeding. Glass cut up her face real good, as the blood leaked from a deep wound just under her left eye and across her cheekbone. Her beautiful cheekbone. I glance over her body and a large shard of glass is embedded in her right arm, pinning it to the seat.

...

...

Almost mechanically, I reach over her leg and on the car floor her purse still sits. I brush away the glass and unzip it. I fish in for her cell phone and hold it out. I press the nine. And then a one. And then another one. I wait, as it rings.

"This is nine-one-one, what's the emergency?" a clear female voice asks me.

Me. "Hello," I say.

"What's your emergency?" she repeats.

"Kim," I breathe.

"What is the matter, sir?"

"Car. Crash. Glass."

"What about glass? Who is Kim?"

"My wife. She's pregnant." Collect your thoughts, man. This is an emergency! Quick, get her help!

"Is she alright?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you, sir?"

"On the road. To the hospital. She broke her toe. Screw D. I lost it," my voice is monotone.

"Which road?"

"I'm in La Push."

"La Push, Washington? What's the street?"

"La Push Road. One-ten," I finally say. "Hurry. Please."

"We've sent an ambulance. Could you tell me of any landmarks or streets that you're near?" she keeps me on the phone. But, I have to get to Kim.

"You'll take too long," I say. She's all...wrong. Her body. It looks all wrong. She's hurt. I can't concentrate enough to see if she's breathing. So,_ I_ breathe in deeply.

The woman on the phone is talking to me. I'm not responding.

...

...

...

Help.

"Kim," I say, closing the phone. I dropped it, but I'm not sure where. I can't touch her. I have to let her be. Help. I need help.

I hear the sirens. I don't know how long it's been. They could have taken their time. It could have been hours and I wouldn't know. I hear the car pull up. But it's too chaotic for me to see where. I hear the back door open and I hear a paramedic talk into a radio. I hear more sirens. Police?

They're at my side of the car. Leave me alone. Get Kim. I can't voice this. I try, but I can't. They open my car door.

"Sir? Are you alright?" The other paramedic is running around to Kim's side.

"Jim, we need to get her to the hospital quick. Sir, how far along is your wife?" I focus on the steering wheel. I read Ford, and see a small picture of a horn in the center. Ford's suck. More sirens.

I see the uniform of the police approach this accident.

"Jared?" the officer asks. I look up slowly and see a familiar face. I can't place it. I know it. But I can't. I can only think about Kim. "Jared, how far along is Kim? I think she's almost due, Jim," the police man tells the paramedic. I hear fumbling, and I hear the seat belt retract. I look over and watch them work around getting Kim out of the car. They're testing her, or something. Her breathing.

"She's not doing good, Pete, let's get her to the hospital quick." Yes, let's.

"What about the husband?"

"He's not in too bad shape."

"Jared, can you get out of the car?"

I nod, and tear my gaze away from them carrying my wife out of the car. I hope her stretcher is comfy. She likes cozy beds. Stretcher. Oh, God. I pull myself out of the car, and stand in front of the officer who grabs my arm, leading me away.

"What about the deer?" I hear someone ask.

"Work around it." It. Poor, it. I'm so stupid. I'm sorry.

I see the stretcher being wheeled to the ambulance, where the doors are open, waiting for her. A car has stopped to watch the scene in front of them. Another car. Behind me too. Another ambulance, leading me to their own one. Away from Kim.

I watch them put her in the car. I am put into my own now. I have my own ambulance. How odd. It feels like mine, right now. I sit there, as a woman examines me. I stare blankly at my hands, not co-operating much. We're driving.

"What's he muttering about?" the driver asks.

"I think he's talking about his wife," the woman answers.

Yes. "Kim, Kim. My fault. Babies. Kim. Kim. Kim."

"Is your wife pregnant, sir?"

I nod.

"Do you know what you're having?" she asks, trying to calm me.

"Two boys," I answer.

"Do you have any names picked out?" she wonders. I look up at her face. I can't remember it. I only think I'm seeing Kim. But I know I'm not.

"Yes," I say.

"What are they?"

And despite me and Kim settling on this matter officially a week ago, I couldn't recall the names. Their names. What were they? I should know my own children's names. I should. But, I don't. I look at her helplessly and she gives me a weak smile.

I go back to staring at my hands.

Sirens. They're almost non-existent when you have more important things on your mind.

"Will Kim get there first?" I ask.

"Yes, she left before us," the woman answers. Good. Good.

We're slowing down. The woman opens the door and helps me out of the truck. I'm on solid ground. Everything is so rushed. People are passing by. Loud noises. Talking. Crying babies.

They sit me on a bed. In a room full of a whole bunch of other beds. I'm in the ER. I know this because I've seen a lot of those doctor-drama shows with Kim. I wonder if the doctor placed in front of me is having an affair with the nurse who's helping me when he's got a wife and kid at home, waiting for him. And if this was one of those shows, the nurse would be secretly pining after another doctor who was the chief of surgery or something.

"Well, this piece of glass is in your leg quite deeply. Did you recently have surgery on this leg, sir?" the doctor asks, touching my scar.

"Yeah," I say. They nurse begins to ask me questions, I replied.

"Where's my wife?" I ask.

"We're not sure right now. But we'll check for you okay?"

"Can you do that now?" I demand. "I've had you nurses lie to me before. You say you call her, but you don't and then I'm left helpless, worried and sad. I don't want to be sad. I want to know where she is and if she's okay." My voice quivers at the end. I can't cry. Not in front of these people.

"I'll go right now, okay?" the nurse, leaves me with the doctor.

"I'm pulling the glass out on the count of three. One, two, three." I don't feel it. I barely even blink. Kim.

"If you're done, can I go?" I ask.

"Sir, you might be experiencing whip lash or a concussion. I'd like to examine you further..."

"Can I see my wife first? Kim? Her name's Kim Martin. That's my last name," I say. The doctor nods. He addresses an apparently large cut on my forehead. The nurse returns. I look at her expectantly. She is hesitant.

"There was an emergency. You're wife went into early labour. They're performing a C-section, shortly," she tells me.

...

"Is she okay?"

"She's in surgery."

"But is she okay?"

"The babies are experiencing major distress. They have to get them out now, if there is any chance of survival," the nurse says.

... "But, is _she_ okay?"

The nurse looks torn, staring at the doctor.

"Mr. Martin, you're wife is having the babies. You can't be with her. You're going to have to stay here with me. I have to tend to your injuries, now."

I stay still for a moment, before speaking up, "Um, yeah, that's not happening. I have to be with her," I stand up; the doctor tries to push me down into my seat. I look sharply at him. "If you think you have any chance of with-holding me, then you're in for a rude awakening. Back, the fuck off, Doc," I threaten. It works. I'm gone. I don't know where I'm going. As usual.

I push my way down the halls, past the people. I stop a nurse and ask where my wife would be, she doesn't know. She's useless. I find one of those main desks and ask the nurse who says she'll check for me. I wait. She takes too long. I order her to hurry it on up. She jumps, she makes a call. She tells me that if I would wait for a minute, she'll have someone take me to my wife. Hurry up, is all I need right now. One of those volunteering older persons comes up to me and cheerfully tells me he'll show me the way. If he wasn't like, eighty, I'd knock him down. Too bad, I could use the release.

I'm being led to an elevator. I stand in the elevator. It's silent. Thank God there's no annoying top forty music playing in the background. I might've had to smash the old man's head into the speaker.

The doors open with some clanging and I push past, before the old man could lead. I look around frantically, to which I receive a few strange looks for. The old man tells me to follow him. I'm led down a long hall to some large double doors. He pushes through where a nurse meets me and asks what I'm doing here. The volunteer tells her and then she leads me a bit further down the hall. Eventually there's a door. She helps me get into some scrubs. I wash up and enter. I see Kim, out cold. A doctor is attending to her, prepping her for surgery. I rush to her head. She looks real badly banged up. I touch her shoulder lightly. I focus on her face. Her full eyelashes, her soft skin, which had dried up blood and scrapes, covering its beauty. Her full lips cracked and chapped. I wish she was here with me. Awake. Talking back. I sigh and before I even know what's going on. I hear a cry.

A soft cry. Not a person with fully-developed lungs. A person with little, tiny lungs. Baby lungs.

"Mr. Martin? Would you like to see your baby girl?" One of the nurses asks.

I'm stunned. "That's not my baby," I say.

Another cry is in the air. It's so quiet and yet, powerful. It is the only thing that makes me want to tear away from Kim.

The nurse walks over to me. I see a gross, purple thing being carried to a corner where there is a small spot for it to be placed and cleaned.

"Mr. Martin. Would you like to see your children before we take them away to be tested?" the nurse asks me.

"You're taking them away?" I'm very confused.

"It's procedure."

I take one last look at Kim. I don't want to leave her, but...I walk over to where there are two babies, squealing, and rocking, in these small, fluffy looking blankets, wrapped up tight. They're a deep red, both with tufts of black hair sitting on their odd-shaped heads. They're not very pretty. And yet –

"They're beautiful," I say.

"Do they have names?" the nurse asks me.

I blink, unable to not be fascinated by their very presence. Now, how did that work? How did I make those living beings?

"Joe and Hank," I say.

The nurse looks a bit confused. "Joe as in...Joanna?"

I'm absolutely clueless. "No. Joe as in Joseph, but with an 'f', please."

"Sir, you're first born is a girl, I think you might what to rethink your names. But don't worry about that now. We'll take them away and tend to them," the nurse said. And she and another nurse picked up the babies and took them out of the room. A doctor told me that I had to leave. They were going to fix Kim up now. I was ushered out of the operating room. I see the nurses not too far ahead, and I follow, not leaving my babies. _My babies._

It was odd to have such an attachment to them so quickly. I loved them. The only way I could explain it was that it was kind of like imprinting. It was profoundly different and also similar. How strange to feel something so powerful to someone who wasn't Kim. I fell in love twice in one day. Unbelievable. I followed the nurses all the way to a door where they told me to wait I couldn't come in, once they realized I was close behind them. They told me to wait by the window just down the hall where the babies all sat by, waiting to be stared at. My babies would be there shortly. I rushed down the hall, and practically pressed my face up against the window.

Who knew this was how my day was going to turn out? I certainly didn't. Luckily, I didn't have to wait that long, as I watched the nurses come in and place my two little versions of myself in the weird container things, surrounded by ones similar with babies, all different. I couldn't take my eyes off Hank and Joe...wait...Hank and the girl. Or Joe and the girl. Whichever, we had to keep one name and toss the other. Huh. We put a lot of time into choosing those names. And now, I was kinda disappointed to have to ditch one. I liked them both. They were simple and made me laugh. Joe. Hank. Smile for me.

And as I stared, wonderingly at these two parts of me – almost a whole – I saw their beauty and their striking resemblance to Kim. All I saw, when I looked at them, was my wife. My wonderful wife who was recovering right now. I just hoped she'd wake up soon and see her babies. I didn't want to wait much longer. We had to name them. We had to hold them. We had to love them.

I really wanted to hold them. I saw a nurse dithering in the back and I knocked on the glass. Idiot. I had made a loud noise and caused a vibration in the window causing a lot of the babies to cry. Including my baby girl. She started to whine. Her small, adorable mouth opened and she let out a muffled cry. My heart dropped. I fail as a father, already. How awful. Reality check for Jared: you made your baby cry after only one hour. I looked at the nurse helplessly and she shook her head as she tried to calm down the babies. I tried to tell her with my eyes that I wanted to go in there and sooth my own baby, but she ignored me and tried to shoo me away with a flick of her wrist. It wouldn't work. I was staying put.

I'm not sure how long I stood watching my daughter and son. But soon a nurse was tapping my shoulder.

"Mr. Martin?" she looks at me in question.

"Yes."

"You're wife is coming to. We'll bring in the babies for both of you to see shortly."

I beamed. "Thanks!" I say. I take one last look at my kids, and then dart down the hall to where the nurse just told me I had to go and which room Kim was in. I found room three ten, faster than I thought and I peeked into the room. A nurse was fumbling around with Kim's IV. She looked over at me, when I entered.

"Hey, mommy," I said, feeling down-right giddy. Even though this was all my fault. I thought darkly about this afternoon for a moment, before shaking my head. I got my kids a little sooner out of it. They were apparently healthy and Kim looked to be alright. If anything anymore serious had happened to her, I might have – well, I don't know what. I didn't want to think about it. Thankfully I was too numb earlier to have any emotional, suicidal, dark and twisted inkling.

Kim doesn't say anything, but stares at me intently. I walk over and pull up the chair beside her bed.

"She can't speak; her voice is lost for now. It'll be back in a few days. Just press the button if you need anything," the nurse left the room swiftly.

"You had the babies. Kim, God, they're perfect. You _have _to see them. I can't wait for you to see them. They haven't let me hold them yet," I say quickly. She looks at me, her lips turning upward slightly. I brush her cheek softly, ignoring the bandage. Her arm is wrapped up tightly in bandages from where the glass pierced her skin. Under the blankets, I'm sure her toe was cast.

There was a small knock on the door and two nurses came in wheeling in these small containers where the babies lay, sleeping.

"Here they are. Perfectly healthy at five pounds nine ounces and six pounds. You had a small little boy here. And you're girl has quite the set of lungs," the nurse smiled at Kim who looked a bit confused as she picked up our girl and placed her in Kim's arms. Her bandaged arm was weak and painful, so I helped her hold onto the baby, who lent against her chest. Kim looked down, her face expressionless. I was quite worried for a moment. Kim nodded to me to let go, and I did. She balanced the baby with one arm and her leg, which she pulled up to cradle the baby protectively. The other nurse handed me my son and I gratefully and carefully held him in my large hands. He was so, so tiny. He was fast asleep, I think. I mean, his eyes were closed. He was breathing in regularly. He was perfect. His small, button nose. His little lips. His dark hair, crazy and endearing. The emotions hitting me suddenly were overwhelming. I couldn't quite get a hold of myself at the moment as I let everything hit me. The crash. The injuries. The ambulance. The broken toe. The surgery. The babies. The screw D. All of it. I felt a large lump in my throat congest, and I felt hot tears fall down my cheeks. Kim makes a noise and I look up, she looks at me, tears down her face as well. She wants to ask me a thousand questions but she can't.

"I love you," I manage.

She looks down at our son, and I look down at our daughter. I want to switch babies. But I think that's a bit too complicated right now. I settle for being in the moment with our family of four.

**P.S: Girl name suggestions are welcome. I'm not a big fan of girl names, so they all sound horrible to me. Suggestions, please!**

**R/R!!**


	8. The Blue Jacket

**AN: Before I get complaints about this (I'm sure I will), parenthood isn't as great as I'm sure you'd like me to portray it. I'm not a mom myself, but I've seen enough and heard enough from my mother to know it's no picnic. Which is why this chapter doesn't show Kim and Jared at their happiest. Theirs a moment in the beginning which is nice, but then it goes into a more realistic state. A lot of this chapter is based on my reality as a child. My mom kindly told me she had wanted to throw me out the window almost every night because I wouldn't stop crying. I never cared about her saying that, because I understood. Kids aren't easy. So this won't be incredibly idealistic, sorry. As for the names, based on everyone HATING the name Hank (I really like it), it is gone. If you complain about this next one, I give up. Oh well, too bad. It is written. LOL. **

**Other than my little note, above, thank you so much for your reviews. I will try to update again soon.**

Chapter 8: The Blue Jacket

_Breathe in for luck  
Breathe in so deep  
This air is blessed  
You share with me  
This night is wild  
So calm and dull  
These hearts, they race  
From self-control  
Your legs are smooth  
As they graze mine  
We're doing fine  
We're doing nothing at all  
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me  
So won't you kill me  
So I die happy  
- Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional_

I pull at her little leg. I try to stretch it out. I'm not doing it roughly, but slowly and softly. She gurgles, and I wonder how much longer her and her brother will be so squished. They're constantly in this curled up manner. Oddly, I'm kinda worried that they're spine will be curved forever if they don't straighten up soon. The doctor says that it's just because they have been in the womb for so long that it will take a bit longer before they uncurl they're body. Still, I worry. I hold onto her foot and stare at its adorableness, which is a word I use to describe my kids about fifty-thousand times a day. They're adorable. There, I said it again. She holds out her arms for me, grasping at air. Aw. I put my face down to hers and touch our heads lightly – we're barely touching. She touches my face and bounces on our bed. But she's so light that it doesn't shake it at all.

I like these kinds of days: quiet ones, where not a whole lot is happening. Just me, Kim and the babies. Right now, I'm just spending some quality time with my daughter. _My daughter_. I still can't get over the fact that I'm a dad, and sooner than I'd like they'll be dating and leaving me for college. Ugh, just thinking about that depressed me. For now, they were only seven weeks old, and relied on Kim and me heavily. I liked that. They're sole survival depended on me. It was also terrifying, especially in the beginning when we brought them home and looked at one another and asked the question, "Now what?"

Kim had just fed her and the boy, who lay sleeping in his bassinet on the other side of our room. The mother of two was currently downstairs watching TV, during this brief lapse of quiet. Unfortunately, the girl couldn't sleep so I stayed with her. If I had left her alone, she would have started to cry, which would have woken up the boy, which would have been annoying. Unfortunately this baby girl hated sleep. She was up almost all night, every night, crying. Mine and Kim's sleeping patterns were all out of whack. I was only working three times a week since the twins were born, so I was home most of the time.

I should be getting back to work full-time soon. After all, we needed the money. I just couldn't bring myself to leaving Kim home alone with two newborns. I could never concentrate on work, I was always thinking about her and the babies. It left me with a guilty-heavy heart for the whole day while I was away from home. I hated it, so I stayed home. Kim would be getting back to work herself, this fall, in September. She'd get back into teaching at the La Push high school. We'd then have two incomes come in which would be helpful. She took a year off since she found out she was pregnant, much to the dismay of the high school. I could tell they'd be pleased when she'd return. That school was always short on teachers, unfortunately.

After two days at the hospital, Kim was recovering and her voice was coming back to her. She announced with almost her first words that we had to think of new names. I asked her why, and she said that we had only picked two boy ones and now that she had met our son, she had decided that he was not a Joe or a Hank. I was kinda disappointed. Especially since Emily, Sam, Quil, Claire, Embry, Paul, and Rachel all told me that Hank was a boring name. I loved that name. I was a bit disgruntled that everyone was against me on that one, but I let it go, seeing as how Kim agreed with them. Even though, she had let me name one boy and she name the other. I obviously had no choice now. I told her about how the nurse had unknowingly put the name Joanna in my head, and we named our daughter. Claire had gotten so excited that she suggested hundreds of different names for our son. She had told me how she had just finished _The Outsiders_ and had taken quite the liking to the name Sodapop. And if we wanted it we could have it, but she was very serious about naming her own son, one day, Soda. Kim and I kindly said she could have that name. Claire looked a bit relieved at that. We had spent the whole day listening to different names from everyone who had an opinion. We would nod and lie about liking some of the names. It was all overwhelming, having two new babies and a wife who was recovering from a crash. I felt perfectly fine with my injuries. I was healing quicker than Kim, who was still struggling with her right arm.

"How about Jeremy?" Kim had asked me after a long day of different suggestions. The babies were sleeping, thankfully, soundly at the end of her hospital bed.

"Ugh, that's so lame having the twins names both begin with 'J'. Plus, there are too many people in our world whose name begins with a 'J'. Including me," I grumbled, resting my head on her pillow, even though I was sitting in the chair next to her bed.

She laughed lightly. "How about weird name?"

"Weird?" I yawned, feeling exhausted.

"Yeah. Like...Besus," she says.

"What?" I said, shocked by this name. "No way. We might as well just call him Sodapop."

"Or Ponyboy," she joked.

"Even worse," I groaned, touching my forehead to her shoulder. "Well, what does he look like to you?" I wondered.

"On the subject of books...How about Holden?" she mused, sinking further into her bed, dragging me down with her.

"Caulfield? If that's what you want. Although, he ended up being a bit insane, wasn't he?"

"So?" she asked.

"Well, wouldn't that be sort of like paving his road for him. You have to live up to the name, son," I had put on a deep voice for that last sentence.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm too tired to think anymore, you decide." Her eyes closed, and I looked up at her feeling a swell of love and pride. She was remarkable in every way.

Suddenly, a new name hit me. "Kirby!" I said loudly. She jumped a bit.

"As in the video game?" she asked.

"No, I didn't even think about that," I said slowly.

"Well you should. Do you want your son to be teased?"

"Well...no. But I think it's cool. We can call him Kirb for short. Yo, Kirb, wassup?" I tried out. She laughed again, amused, but she vetoed it. "Tiberius?"

"No, Star Trek," she insisted. "No Spock, no Chekov, no Sulu...No."

I pouted. "How about Logon?"

"No nerd names."

"Logan is not a nerd name. It's wolverine! Plus, I think it's fitting since I was a werewolf and he might be one," I said.

She stiffened. We had never really thought about the fact that our children could be werewolves. It was disconcerting and we were silenced for a long while.

"Graham?" I asked.

"Cracker," she finished. I laughed, which lightened the mood a bit. "Wesley?"

"And Wes, for short?" I asked slowly. I think I could work with that.

"Yeah," she agreed.

And that was how we had Joanna and Wes. Joanna Kimberly Martin and Wesley Paul Martin. And so they were named. We left the hospital and things have been pretty hectic around here. I mean, there was _a lot _of sleeplessness going around. Joanna refused to sleep no matter how much we begged and cried, she hated it. We were constantly hesitant and stressed and doubtful. If Joanna didn't cry it'd be simple: they don't do too much you see. At least, Wes does nothing. But all in all, we've fallen into a rhythm that has been quite doable. We take sleep when we can. I mean, Emily has been warning us to just wait until they walk. I can see that being more challenging, but I think I'm ready for it, personally.

It was so quiet in the house, a rare occurance, not before I hear a little whine come from the bassinet; I look at Joanna with my mouth hung open in shock. She only stares back curiously. She is laying in the middle of our king sized bed. I get up slowly, watching her, before turning to pick up the newly awake Wes. I lay him down beside his sister, and they sort of roll into one another, before stopping.

"Maybe I should give you two nicknames? Do parents usually have those for their kids? Like...pet names? Before my dad left your Grandma, your Aunt Jessica and me, I remember he used to call my sister Pumpkin. But that was a while ago, I was only seven...Hmm, what could I call you?" I tickle their feet. Only Wes cracks a smile. Hey, one out of two ain't bad!

I tilt my head to the side, looking for inspiration.

"You kinda look like a duck," I remark, staring thoughtfully at my son. "Duckie? Duck?"

Wes kicked his leg out. Was that a yes?

I turn my attention to Joanna. "And you, sweet child of mine, how about...Ugh, I could barely come up with your given names. I think it's too soon for alternate names. So Duck, you'll be Wes for now," I frown, lying beside them and throwing my arm over their heads, encircling them with my body, staring down at their small, cute faces.

We remained like so, for another twenty minutes before I heard footsteps on the stairs, and soon Kim and her socked feet were standing at the doorway. She looked on at us, her hair messy, her eyes heavy with noticeable bags underneath and her bathrobe open to reveal my boxer shorts and a small tank top. She looked exhausted, but also quite content – which made me grin at her like the idiot I was.

"Hey, join the party!" I said, nodding over to us.

"You guys are a lively bunch, aren't you?" she noted, climbing on the bed, on the kid's other side. The babies mostly just gurgled, with Joanna whining when we didn't pay enough attention to her. Kim tickled her daughter's belly to pacify her for now.

"We're animals," I respond, growling. Kim and the kids jump slightly, looking at me. I'm glad I can still growl like the animal I was, but it was sort of alarming that they looked so nervous about my small noise. "Hey, relax," I tell them, but Joanna cries. "I said relax," I groan, getting off the bed and taking Joanna from Kim and holding her closely to me.

Kim laughed slightly. "I haven't heard you growl in a while." She's amused.

"And I won't ever do that again. Look what happens!" I complain, bouncing Joanna up and down in my large hands.

"Wes seemed to like it," Kim nods to our son who is squirming. I can't tell if he enjoyed it. He's just doing regular baby things. But I guess since he's not crying, that's more to be said than Joanna's reaction.

"Yeah, well, she's mightily pissed off," I grumble, with a spring in my step, walking in circles, making hushing noises. Actually, I've had a lot of practice with this before the babies – Kim needed to be calmed nearly every single night throughout her pregnancy. I have a right to claim the title, "Master of Crying Girls," with a book on the way entitled, "How to Make Them Cry, How to Make Them Hate You and How to Make Them Happy Again." Damn, that's pretty depressing to think about.

I glance over at my wife and son, to find them both fast asleep. How can they sleep when this kid is bawling louder than a pissed off Leah who won't stop yelling at the pack. I slowly exit the room and hurry down the stairs, trying to silence this baby. It being March, I stuffed her into a jacket that looked like it belonged to Wes. I throw open the front door and put the baby in the stroller that sits on the porch. I buckle her up safely, popping into the living room to find a blanket that I toss on her small complaining body. I look around, feeling as if I'm missing something.

"Don't go anywhere!" I tell Joanna, and glance around the area to see if anybody is around. They aren't so I race upstairs to my sleeping two, and place pillows all around Wes, just in case. I bound down the stairs, put my jacket on and close the front door where Joanna is kicking and punching the air in fits of tears. "Okay, okay, we're walking."

She was quite the crier. Every single night either I or Kim would sit up with her as we begged of her to sleep, with tears of our own pouring down our cheeks. Wes was a God send child, who loved to resthis eyes and be quiet. Joanna was hand delivered by the devil himself.

I got the stroller easily enough down the stairs, and began pushing it down the street. I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I would keep walking until she shut up. From what I could tell, my feet were leading me to the garage. It was a Tuesday afternoon, and I figured I'd just stop by to see Embry and Quil. I see a man walking his dog on the other side of the road, look up at us, cringing at my baby's crying. I'm cringing too, buddy! And I have to live with it!

"Come on," I beg her. "Please, be quiet for daddy. Please, Joanna." She can't hear me. Stinkin' kid, I pout.

I get closer to the garage, her little lungs still going strong. How does she not lose her voice? Aren't her vocal cords so tiny that they can barely handle a goo and gaga every once and a while? The way she was going on you'd think she had the lungs of a healthy twenty-five year old man.

The four garage doors that consist of my place of work are wide open; Embry and Quil are too hot to register the cool wind that pricks at my non-werewolf temperature.

"Hey!" I call out, my breath visible. Quil and Embry look up at me sceptically and wave lamely.

"Hey! Baby!" Quil says awkwardly, not looking too pleased by my approach. Whatever, he can suffer along with me. They both can!

"Jared! How's it going?" Embry asks, as if he doesn't know. It's fucking going south, that's where it's going. Kill me, I wanna beg of them. But I don't. I'm just being dramatic and desperate.

"Good, good. As you can see," I beam, gesturing to my bundle of joy. "How's the wife?" I ask Embry.

Embry's lips twitch. "Pregnant."

"Lovely!" I congratulate. "Twins?"

"One can hope," Embry says weakly.

"Yes, yes," I say. We stand there, pretending not to hear this blubbering baby.

"He ever get tired?"

"Occasionally," I respond. "And its Joanna," I say, feeling a bit pissed off at my friends for calling my daughter a boy.

Quil frowns. "But she's wearing blue."

I look down remembering that I put her in Wes' jacket out of pure laziness. "Are you so socially deranged that you fall under the sociological pretences that boys should like blue and girls should always wear pink?" I find myself saying. It was just a thought, but I voiced. I went there, like a loser.

"Feminism. New hobby, Jare?" Embry laughs.

I sigh, leaning against the silver Honda that Quil is working on under the hood.

"Boredom, really," I correct, picking at the dirt underneath my fingernails.

"Did you care to share this delightful music with us?" Embry asked, nodding to the stroller.

"Get used to it, Daddy-o," I grumble.

Embry slowly moves back to the car next to the one Quil was working on. I stayed there, watching my baby cry, semi-fascinated. Why wouldn't she turn off? This was the longest she's ever cried! Normally walking soothes her, what was up with her today? She wasn't hungry, she couldn't be. I took a step closer and sniffed her. Nope, that's not it. _What is it? Why can't you just tell me?_

"Can you leave? Kay, thanks, bye!" Embry said, waving us farewell. Put-off, I wheeled the stroller out of the garage, looking for a new destination. One that I hadn't been to in a while was Sam and Emily's. Brightening at all the wonderful things that come with going to Emily's, I hurried down the sidewalk, ready to turn left as soon as I reached the street they lived on. Food. Advice. A mother who knew how to deal with babies! Magic. Emily was magic.

I was practically skipping as I pushed Joanna up the front-walk and ringing the Uley's door bell. Nora opened the door, beaming at me.

"Nora! What have we told you? Mommy and Daddy open the door, not you," Emily came to the door looking frazzled but she smiled warmly when she saw me. Nora's nose scrunched up when she realized Joanna's cries weren't halting anytime soon.

"Did you break her?" she accused.

"No! She's just cranky!" I defended myself and Joanna. Emily shook her head and ushered us in, pressing Nora against the wall, who glared at her mother.

"Can I hold her?" Nora jumps behind me.

I unstrapped her from the stroller and place her withering body in my arms. "Does this look like something you want to touch? This baby's possessed!" I tell the seven year old.

"Possessed, what does that mean?" Nora questioned.

"Nora, go play, mommy is going to help Uncle Jared settle Joanna," Emily brushed her hair away from her face.

"But, I want to stay!" Nora stomps her foot.

"Nora! You'll get a time-out!" Emily warns her daughter. Nora pouts.

"It's not fair!" she crosses her arms, stubbornly.

"Go," Emily urges. Nora storms off, very upset with her mother. As soon as she's gone, I turn to Emily frantically, holding the squirming baby at arm's length.

"Take her, please. We'll keep Wes. She doesn't love us," I say, stressed to the max. Emily laughs and shakes her head, taking the baby into her arms, and rocking her back and forth. "That doesn't work," I warn, peeling off my jacket and tossing it over the back of her kitchen chair, sitting myself down.

"The kids and I made cupcakes yesterday, there in that container," she nods onto the counter. I swipe it off and delve into the pastry goodness.

"Where's Kim?" she asked frowning, rocking into a rhythm.

"Sleeping with Wes. I couldn't wake them. You should have seen them, they were so cute," I grin, feeling the frosting on my face, but not caring to wipe it off since it was just Emily. She'd seen me in more disgusting food positions in my years of knowing her.

I didn't notice it at first, but Joanna's cries were dying down, to an annoying whine. I look at Emily in astonishment.

"Wow," I utter, looking at Joanna's sleeping body, transfixed. "Will you marry me?" I ask her, thinking that I had just imprinted again, momentarily.

Emily laughed. "It's all about patience. If you're calm, the baby will be calm. Something tells me you were just a basket-case."

"Little bit," I admit. "Oops, sorry, I just cleared you of cupcakes," I announced. "Hope the kids won't be too upset."

"They will be. You owe them," Emily looked troubled by my inhaling of all her cupcakes. "Oh, this will not go over well," she mutters.

"Oh, sorry," I say only feeling somewhat guilty. They were damned good, and I was in a down mood. I can't hold myself accountable for eating what was right in front of me. "So, yeah, I'll just be going now," I say, standing to my feet.

"Would Kim be okay with us keeping your baby?" Emily asks a smile on her distorted face.

"Sure! She'd be fine with anything! And hey, if you still feel funny about this arrangement, we'll take her every other weekend," I attempt to reason. Emily shakes her head and begins to walk out of the kitchen. I follow here because – she's got my baby. She places Joanna carefully into the stroller and buckles her in.

"She's asleep now, so just take her home. It will be fine, Jared. Stop being so twitchy."

I look dejectedly at the stroller that was pressed up against the front door. The small foyer was over flowing with winter gear for the kids and about a thousand shoes. I nod slowly, opening the door as quietly as I could and wheeling the kid out backwards.

"Thanks Emily, but I can't help but feel like you're just pushing me out the door," I say.

"I am. You ate the cupcakes. Goodbye, Jared. We'll visit you all as a family soon. How about this Sunday?" Emily asks as Nora runs up to bid us goodbye as well.

"Perfect!" I say sarcastically and give a tired wave, swerving the carriage around and pushing the baby back home.

I began walking in a sort of daze. I didn't focus on anything but the ground in front of the stroller that passed underneath us in a grey-ish blur of concrete. The green on either side of me that consumed most of La Push was barely registered into my brain as I concentrated on moving at a nice rhythmic pace that made my eyes droop. I didn't think that it was possible to fall asleep while walking, but it turns out it is. I'm exhausted. I want sleep. But I can't. I'm walking.

Walking, walking, walking. Always walking.

Even though that is incredibly untrue, my body is protesting as if it were fact. It is weak and shaky and ready to collapse at the sight of a cozy patch of grass. So I stare at the rough, hard pavement.

I hear a small peep from Joanna and my heart freezes, praying that she won't start crying again anytime soon. Why does she always cry? Why? This is the first bit of rare silence that we experience with her. We had that quiet afternoon, followed by me being stupid enough to trigger the tears with an immature growl from yours truly. I can't be doing that anymore. I'm twenty-eight now. People expect you to snort with sarcasm, sniff with a runny nose, laugh when it's funny – no growling, that's for insecure teenage boys.

Oddly enough, I begin to notice a familiarity with the sidewalk and before I know it, I'm taking a sharp turn up a walk that is about half the size of the public one. Because, somehow, I knew this was my house. It's very strange that I knew this just by staring at the concrete, but I did. I look up and sure enough, it's my house. I very carefully lift the stroller up the stairs and onto the porch.

I place it down gently and wonder if I should even bother to take her out of the stroller. I mean, she'll most likely just wake up? But then, its winter, we can't stay out here for long.

Wincing, I pick her up slowly and cradle her to my chest, opening the front door and turning into our home. It's warm and cozy in here, as I thankfully kick off my boots. She hasn't woken yet, so this is a good sign. Fingers crossed! I take a few steps into the living room when I accidentally kick their vibrating chair thing and it zips across the floor into our tower of DVD's which collapse and create a loud crash. I freeze, I feel the baby stirring in my arms and then a resound cry breaks through the silence. Yep, she could have woken up five counties with that opening breath.

"Fantastic," I tell her. I decide that this is obviously a problem that surpasses my intelligence level of zero. I wander up the stairs and am opening mine and Kim's bedroom door where Kim is sitting upright with Wes on her lap, bouncing him up and down.

"Where'd you go?" she asks, frowning at Joanna.

"Out. Where she fell asleep. And then decided she hadn't tortured her father enough. Take her. I can't anymore. I give up," I whine, walking closer to the bed and a more sceptical Kim.

"You can't just give up seven weeks in," she hedges, wary to take the kid.

Wes' face is scrunched up at the sound of his sister.

"Looks like this is going to be another sleepless night," Kim sighed, putting Wes into his bassinet and relieving me of Joanna.

"Maybe she's hungry?" I suggest, flopping onto the bed in relief. Thank God, I press my face into a pillow.

Kim frowns in doubt. She holds the baby semi-awkwardly and looks at me miserably. I want to take the baby; I really do, but...

"Fine!" I exclaim, rolling off the bed. "Give her to me, I'll take her downstairs. But feed her first," I say standing by as she sits in the armchair we have in the corner beside the babies beds. She breast feeds our daughter and then hands her over. "Thankssomuch," I mumble, leaving the room. She had only temporarily ceased bawls, but tears still streamed down her face while she ate.

And so, I sat down on the couch, trying to watch TV with the volume very high. I actually got into a mode where I couldn't hear the baby sitting in front of my in her vibrating chair. When Kim came down later she looked at me desperately.

"Shall we eat?" she asked.

I shrugged, turning my attention back to the program about teenagers in a small town with lots of drama.

"I'll make macaroni," she tells me.

"Yum," I say loudly.

She holds out the baby monitor. "I don't think I could hear Wes if he cried!" she shouted over Joanna's incessant noise.

And when bedtime came, I hate to say that I fell asleep, but I did. I don't know how I did it, but somehow...Kim shook me awake, Joanna hadn't stopped. She told me to go up to our bed with Wes and she'd stay down here for a while. I nodded sleepily, unable to disagree, and crawled into our bed. I wasn't sure how long afterward it was, but soon the volume of the cries increased and I slowly opened my eyes to see Kim bouncing on her feet back and forth and staring out the window. I think Wes was even crying. I got up slowly and looked at Kim.

"Need help?"

"Yes, or I will throw her out this window," Kim says through her teeth.

I rub my face. "We're calling the doctor. This is out of control."

"I've talked to the doctor already," she says exasperated. "It's no use. She's just a difficult child. Everyone has one."

I grimace and look over at the clock that reads three thirty in the morning.

"Alright!" I take Joanna from her and order Kim to pick up Wes. She follows me out of the bedroom, down the hall and then descending the stairs. I grab my keys on the front bureau and tell her to follow me. It's a pretty mild night, with no rain. I lead my family to the car and open it up. I buckle Joanna into her car seat ignoring her physical protests and settle her in. Kim has a much easier time with Wes. We get in the car. I glance around, checking to see if I've woken the neighbours at all due to my kid's crying and then pull out of the drive, and begin to go on a middle-of-the-night road trip.

"Where are we going?" Kim yawns. Wes has quieted completely. Big deal.

Dare I say it, Joanna was calming down. Knock on wood. I look over at Kim to answer, and that small decrease in volume was just enough to make her fall fast asleep. I smile and continue to drive on. Not ten minutes later, Joanna is asleep and I thank God for giving me a passed out wife and two sleeping seven-week olds, finally.

Not wanting to break the silence after so long, I drove for the remainder of the night. In circles, in ways I never meant to go. And at around quarter to seven, Kim awoke with a start.

"Where are we?" The sky had lightened and the grey clouds told me it would rain soon.

"Not too far from home. Ready to go back?" I ask.

She looks out the car window. "Have you been driving all night?" she frowns.

"Only a few hours. I was scared to stop," I nod toward the backseat. She glances behind her to see both our babies were sleeping.

"Can you drive for like another fifteen minutes? I'm revelling in this thing people call silence."

I laugh quietly. "Anything."


	9. The Ice Cream

**AN: I started writing this chapter when I had finished the previous one. I only started getting back into it recently. I love Jared, I love writing him, so I can't say this is the end of the story. I could go back to it at anytime, I don't know. I hope you enjoy this chapter and while I like it, I really think I could have made it better if I had the patience. Thanks for sticking around, loyal readers. **

Chapter 9: The Ice Cream

_So young and so handsome  
So easily led  
They told me to wait  
I said  
It makes a man out of me  
You take the fun out of me  
And I've been consistent to the fucking dream  
And I've paid my dues  
Just to get them all back  
A simple man with simple desire  
- Skeleton by Bloc Party_

"Good morning," I say huskily in her ear, my voice low, as I wrap my long arms around her perfect waist. I pull her tightly to my chest and press my mouth to the side of her head. She leans back, and twists her arm around so that it's resting on the nape of my neck.

"Someone's up early," she says.

"I'm always up for you," I kiss her long, beautifully tanned neck, her skin so soft and smelling of water lilies; which was actually the name of our Dove body lotion that sat in a corner of our narrow shower. I used the same, so technically, this scent shouldn't be so pleasurable to me...but oh, it was.

"The kids will be up soon," she stage whispers and cocks her head to the side. I look over and Wes is standing by the couch, staring at his mother and father, curiously. I freeze in my position in the kitchen. He sees us. There's no escape.

"Morning Wes," I sigh, leaning against Kim, who is pushed up against the counter do to my weight.

"Hi," he mumbles, rubbing his eye. Behind him the television is softly being ignored as they relay the morning news. His small feet, that on normal days I would find adorable, but today I found irritating as he walked over to his mother, to no doubt claim her attention. And he did. Kim slid from me and the counter and scooped our five year old son into her arms. She walked him past our kitchen table and gently placed him on the couch, pulling the blanket on the arm rest, over his small form. I glance at the clock. It's six-twenty-two in the morning. This was mine and Kim's time. But kids didn't seem to understand that. They loved to get up early to torture fathers who just wanted alone time with their wives who they haven't fucked in eight days.

I mean, sure, he was all sorts of cute all cuddled up on the couch that was about ten times his size. And his little Spiderman pyjamas were super cool and his hair was all messy and bed-head-like. But. But. He was here. He shouldn't have to wake up until, like seven. Kim and I were up for a reason. I had to leave for work in about twenty minutes, and she was getting the kids lunches ready for their kindergarten classes this morning while she went off to work at the La Push high school.

It was only a matter of time before Joanna came down the stairs on her bottom, a habit she still hasn't gotten over. I went to the fridge to get my lunch that I had prepared for myself the night before. I might as well leave for work early. What was the point in staying any longer? I kissed Kim briefly on her temple before making my way to the front of the house.

"See ya later, Wes," I waved to him. He didn't even take his eyes off the television. I nodded, and went out the door toward work.

For the rest of the day, I had holed myself up in my office, doing my work, business as usual. Everything was fine and boring until my phone rang just after twelve. I picked it up, routinely.

"La Push Mechanics, how can I help you?"

"Hi, I'd like to speak to Jared Martin?" the gruff male voice said on the other line.

"Speaking," I said.

"Mr. Martin, this is Dave Lee from La Push Elementary School, I'm here calling in regards of your daughter, Joanna," he said.

I pushed the buttons on my calculator, again, realizing the number I had just configured couldn't be accurate. Start from the beginning. I recheck the numbers. "Uh huh, what's up?" I say, pressing the phone between my shoulder and cheek.

"We tried reaching your wife, but it appears she has taken one of her classes on a field trip. We're sorry to bother you but we have some urgent matters to discuss. There was an incident during lunch recess..."

"What incident?" I demand, feeling impatience sift over me. What was I calculating wrong?

"Do you think you could come in? I'd prefer not to do tell you over the phone."

"Is she alright?" I search my desk for last month's numbers. I just saw it. Where was it?

"Yes, Joanna is fine. But her behaviour is most unacceptable."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow? Or afterschool? I'm a bit swamped here," I ask gruffly.

"It cannot, because she is suspended," the man said, finally.

I stop looking for the papers and push the calculator away. "Excuse me?" I rub my forehead from exhaustion.

"You heard me correctly, Mr. Martin. Now, can you make it in for a small meeting?"

"I'm not good with this stuff," I defend. "You'd be better of talking to her mother."

"This cannot be stalled. I'll see you at one. Good-bye, Mr. Martin," and he hung up on me. _I'm_ the one who has a right to hang up. He was the one accusing my daughter of something I'm sure she didn't do.

Well, I was _sure_ but it seemed like something a father would say to a teacher who was trying to suspend her. It's part of my job as a father to defend her. To protect her from the world. What the hell could she have done that could get her into so much trouble?

Groaning, I picked up the phone and tried Kim's cell phone. It rang and rang until finally her voicemail kicked in. I left a brief message explaining what I knew – which wasn't a lot. I tried to continue work for the next half hour before heading out into the garage.

"Hey, Quil, I've got to go to the school for a bit. Something about Joanna," I said. Quil nodded, barely looking away from his task at hand.

"Tell me how it goes!" he called out to me as I swiftly walked the fifteen minutes to the school from our shop.

I hadn't been there in a while, but I remembered it almost perfectly. I'd spent the first nine years of my education at this school and don't remember a thing I learned. I hoped Joanna and Wesley would take more from it than I. But they seemed smart – seemed to have gotten their mother's genes, lucky them. They could pay attention to things, they liked trivia. Wes loved emperor penguins. He saw a documentary on them on the Discovery channel about a month ago and for like a week afterward that was all he could talk about. It was a bit disturbing watching your son act out the mating ritual of a bunch of penguins – although, he had no idea what it meant. But he would bow to the air and then curtsy, re-enacting how the male and female interact before they made a baby penguin. He would laugh and talk about how they were the tallest and heaviest penguins. He couldn't even really say 'penguins'. Each time he'd say it, he'd have a different pronunciation for us. Sometimes he'd say something like, 'pengins', 'penguns', 'penglins'... I don't know, but it was hilarious.

I entered through the front of the school and into the small foyer. There was a water fountain straight ahead that was rusty and unhygienic looking. I thought about getting the kids some canteens for them to hold their water instead of leaning over that thing. I scowled and entered through the glass wall that seemed to be the only new thing in the school – money spent on the secretaries and principal, of course.

"Hi," I said, leaning over the front desk to a large, miserable, grey-haired woman who had a permanent grimace on her face.

"Yeah?" she said. No hello, no how are you. What an ungrateful bitch. Sorry, I clearly wasn't in the mood for this today.

"I got a call from Mr. Lee. I'm here regarding my daughter Joanna Martin," I said.

"Take a seat," she pointed to blue armchairs. The foam was falling out of the scratchy upholstery. I smiled weakly and took a seat. I shuffled and the old wooden frame creaked loudly in the small, cramped office. I'm surprised to see a young woman lead my small daughter into the office. I look at her bright, large brown eyes, her lower lip, jutting out slightly and her long dark hair, falling out of its simple braid that Kim had arranged this morning.

"Is this your daddy, Joanna?" the woman asked, putting her face close to Joanna's.

Joanna nodded, twisting her lips, displeased by the sight of me. Well, I wasn't too happy about this either, kid. I stand and take a step toward the young woman.

"I'm Jared Martin," I say holding out my hand. With her one hand on Joanna's shoulder, she shook mine with her other.

"I'm Ms. Lynn, Joanna and Wes' teacher," she said, smiling, her long lighter brown hair, pulled into a loose bun, her glasses falling down her nose. She was very young. I resisted the urge to ask her age, knowing women didn't take too kindly to that question. Ms. Lynn looked a little guilty as she smiled weakly and said, "Honestly, I think this is being blown completely out of –"

"Mr. Martin?" A short, round, square-headed man was standing at the edge of a hall that led to his office. "Joanna, back so soon?" he leered. She was a child. She did not get the implications of sarcasm quite yet.

"Jared Martin," I assured him. A feeling of protectiveness bubbled to the surface of my being as I watched the way this principal stared at my daughter. "Can we begin?" I ask him.

Shaking his head, Mr. Lee said, "Yes, yes, of course, follow me, please." Ms. Lynn pushed Joanna forward. Joanna looked at me with the most plainly written 'guilty' face I had ever seen. She didn't even want to move ahead until I had. I shook my head and walked down the hall to Mr. Lee's office. I could hear Joanna's small feet, drag across the carpet in a shuffle.

I entered the office that had no personal touch to it at all. There was an attempt at one, with a tall plant in the corner, but it did no good. I sat in a chair that was in far better condition than the couches in the main office. Ms. Lynn directed Joanna into the seat next to me, facing the desk of Mr. Lee who sat behind it, looking almost giddy at what was to come.

Joanna crawled onto the seat, for it was far too big for a five year old. My heart tugged at how adorable she looked, turning on her knees to get more comfortable on the leather cushioned chair. I looked away, believing I had to keep my head in this situation and not let her cuteness waive my judgement.

"This is most unfortunate, most unfortunate, indeed," Mr. Lee said.

In my opinion, any man who used 'indeed' in a meeting concerning a present kindergartener was just a gigantic douche.

"Why is it misfortunate?" I asked, feeling the annoyance seeping into my tone. This was most ridiculous, most ridiculous, indeed.

"Joanna is a very smart young girl," he said. If you refer to someone as a girl, wouldn't they already be young, as a given? I don't understand that.

"I know," I said, stuffily. Joanna was kicking her shoes together out of the corner of my eye. _Thwack, thwack_**. **I looked down and saw her tiny, pink light-up shoes and reminded myself that I had to be strong and immune to her cute.

"Almost _too _smart," Mr. Lee elaborated.

"What?" I said, not understanding. "Is there a point? Please don't try and build suspense, this is already a major inconvenience for me."

"We have sent several notes concerning your daughter over the past couple of months, but something tells me they have been...apprehended." He eyes Joanna.

I look at my daughter who is staring innocently at the ceiling, counting the tiles. I can tell because her little mouth was mouthing the numbers. She was so _little_. Be strong, Jared.

"What are you suggesting?"

"You daughter is quite the devious child. I and Ms. Lynn have tried calling your home three times. And each time, we have been hung up on!" he says sharply.

I feel the snap of anger at his tone of voice. "Do not accuse my daughter," I say defensively.

"She is a troublemaker! And she is not being punished," Mr. Lee said.

"Punished? Who punishes a five year old?" I fire back, my temper rising in its familiar wolfish way. Only this time I wouldn't burst into fur. That was long ago. In my past. But still a small part of my present.

"Mr. Martin, please. No one is suggesting punishment. What Mr. Lee was trying to say was, maybe, a little more discipline should be enforced on Joanna," Ms. Lynn said softly from her position, beside the desk, standing, worriedly. She was obviously the mediator.

"She gets disciplined," I said, and yet, I tried to remember... She was a good kid!

"She's a good kid," I said.

"No parent wants to believe their child is bad," Mr. Lee said, smugly.

"She is not bad!" Ms. Lynn gasps in shock.

"Who in their right mind would hire you as a teacher for an _elementary_ school?" I rage, rising to my feet, my face contorted into a ferocious glare that had Mr. Lee backing into his seat, Ms. Lynn's eyes widening in fear, and Joanna cowering into her corner of the chair. I couldn't care less at the moment though. My hands were shaking and I tried to recall the last time I had lost control like this. But I felt the natural need to protect mine. This man was attacking my daughter and I wasn't going to sit by passively and let him say these things.

See, this was why Kim was far better suited for these kinds of things.

"Mr. Martin, please let's all calm down. We need to discuss Joanna! Should I call Mrs. Martin?" Ms. Lynn fretted, twisting her hands together.

Mrs. Martin. Kim. My wife. She's gonna be pissed when she finds out what I'm doing. I look down through my red-eyed rage at my daughter, who is looking up at me in fear and shock. My shoulders ease up and I attempt to push out all the tension that built up. I nod slowly and sit stiffly in the seat, gripping my knees cautiously.

"Okay?" Ms. Lynn looked at all the occupants of the room.

"Daddy?" Joanna leaned over her chair towards me. I looked down at her little hand reaching across teh gap and placing it on my arm. She smiled at me and I wondered how on Earth this girl could be seen as bad in this fucking principals head.

I clear my throat and attempt to regain my composure. "What's the bottom line?"

Mr. Lee looks a bit shaken up and shuffles the papers on his desk. "Without you reacting violently, Mr. Martin," he starts, a threat clear in his voice. If he wants me to remain calm he better not threaten me, because I'm _this_ close to ripping into his flesh. "We will be asking you to keep Joanna home from school until Monday."

Ms. Lynn sucks in a breath and stares at me expectantly.

"What does that mean?" Joanna asks, giving her principal an odd look. Bless her heart.

Mr. Lee is not a kid person. Why is this his job? He regards Joanna with a look of discontent. "It means Joanna that you have disobeyed school rules, several times. We have given you warnings and have attempted to contact your parents for months and you have skilfully avoided all of this from being resolved. You must be punished, so you will be removed from school property for the next several days in hopes that you will learn from this lesson."

Joanna scowled. "What?"

I jumped to my feet and pushed the chair back violently. "Fuck this!" I declare, reaching over and picking up Joanna, who squeals. I hold her under my arm and give the principal a glowering look. "Thanks for your kindness Ms. Lynn," I try not to spit out, because she has been nice, but this – bastard...I storm out of the office without a second glance and stomp my way rather childishly out of the school, with Joanna screaming at me to let go. "You don't need this fucking school. Fuck, fuck! Son of a bitch!" I know I shouldn't swear in front of my kid, but I was just so worked up that I couldn't start censoring myself now.

Somewhere on the way to work I remembered I had my daughter with me. She had remained silent while I fumed loudly, receiving several heady looks I might add, and never slowing down as she bounced in my arm. I turned her around and cradled her to my chest, she leaned automatically into me and sighed.

"I'm sorry, baby," I said, feeling overwhelmingly sad, suddenly.

"For what?" she whispers, nuzzling her nose into my shirt.

I'm such a wuss, I'm nearly blubbering at her words. Why was I crying? Be a man, Jared! "Oh," is all I say, stopping in the middle of the street and hugging her tightly.

"I love you, Daddy," she says.

Oh, God. I'm getting choked up, the lump in my throat and my eyes are stinging, threatening tears. "I love you," I begin to cry. What is wrong with me today? I'm acting like a hormonal pregnant woman (I do not miss those days).

She pulls back and wipes my tears away with her palm which is like the size of my thumb.

"Your tears are big," she comments, a smile breaking out across her face that is so innocent that I wished she would always be this naive.

"Yeah," I laugh weakly.

"Where are we going?" she asks.

I press my forehead to hers and shrug. "Where do you want to go?" I ask, not really caring.

"To the park!" she begs me with her enthusiasm.

"You got it, babe," I say, straightening up. No more crying. Be happy. I would not tell Kim that I cried in front of our daughter. Jesus, she'd probably be scarred for the rest of her life, I'll be paying for her therapy sessions in ten years because she is traumatized by her childhood memory involving her Dad's loss of control and sobs. Thankssomuch, Dad.

So, I took her to the park. She laughed a lot, which made me feel slightly better as I pushed her on the swing, waited for her at the bottom of the slide, held her up off the ground while she pretended to be doing the monkey bars all by herself – it was grounding and distracting. Until my phone vibrated and I caught the time, we were eating ice cream and sitting by the beach despite it being quite cold and the sky darkening. I hadn't even noticed. It was just after five and it was Kim. Oh and I had missed two other calls. I guess I hadn't felt it at all until I was sitting on it now.

"Uh oh, Mommy," I grimaced, glancing at Joanna who was licking the dripping ice cream off her hand. She beamed but didn't say a word, for she was quite preoccupied.

I wondered if I could get away with _not_ answering the phone.

"Hello?" I hedged, waiting for an explosion.

Instead there was a small silence before, "When you left the school with Joanna, you forgot your son." Her voice was even and not as tense as I imagined.

"Did you pick him up?" I said, handing my ice cream to Joanna who looked overjoyed with having a cone in each hand. She paid attention to both of them equally. See, that was easy enough to do with food, but with twins, it was a challenge.

"Yes, about fifteen minutes ago because I got a call from the school telling me he had been left behind and was staying in the afterschool day care they provide. It cost us twenty dollars for him to stay an hour and a half."

"Thieves," I remark.

"Where are you?"

"The beach," I said.

"You have Joanna with you, right?"

"Yes."

"When are you coming home?" she is being very patient and I am thankful for that. I need it to be slow right now.

"Now," I decide, motioning to Joanna to finish up the ice cream quickly. Joanna nods enthusiastically at the challenge.

"Good, I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," I hang up and pick Joanna up easily. She sits comfortably in my arms and licks away the ice cream. I see her face covered in chocolate and remember I stuffed some napkins in my pocket.

By the time we get home, ten minutes later, I plop her on her feet at the end of our walkway and diligently wipe away the traces of ice cream as best I can in the dimming light. The winter months are rolling in and it's getting darker earlier each day.

"Don't tell Mom about the ice cream, kay?" I whisper to her, like it's our own little secret. She nods and _shhh_'s me, spitting in my eye.

I open the front door with my key and usher her inside, undoing her small jacket and hanging it up on the hooks beside the door. I didn't have one since my temperature was still running quite warmer than these regular folks.

"Anyone home?" I called out, stupidly. I knew Kim was in the kitchen, waiting. We rounded the corner and she was sitting at the dining table. The television was off, I noticed, looking to my left. I guess Wes was up stairs.

"Hey, Momma," Joanna grinned sheepishly at Kim, who smiled back at her.

"How was your day?" she asks to humour her.

"Really great! Daddy took me to the park and we bought -," she gushed before I cleared my throat pointedly. She looked back at me and grinned. "I can't tell you what we bought," she informs Kim. I wish kids knew the art of subtlety – it would only be helpful to them.

"Mmm-hmm. Joanna, go upstairs for a while. I'm gonna talk to your Dad and when we're done the three of us will have a serious chat," Kim said, brushing back Joanna's messy, wind-blown hair from her eyes. Joanna looked a bit scared at the prospect of a talk and hurried up the stairs, calling Wes' name.

How to get out of this without getting into a lot of trouble? As I thought about it quickly, the only thing that came to mind was seduction. Glancing at my wife told me that wouldn't work out too well. I was gonna try, though, dammit. It's all I got – this body.

I pouted and widened my eyes as innocently as possible taking a page out of Joanna's book. I mean, she had to get the sad puppy-dog face from someone didn't she? Kim rolled her eyes.

"Ms. Lynn called me as soon as you stormed out of the office, she said you were very upset. She didn't mention that you left Wes behind, though. Jared," she leaned forward against the table and pushed her face into her waiting hands. I hedged forward and took the seat at the right side of the table, while she sat at the head. She looked at me. "I know it was probably difficult for you to deal with an authority figure since you haven't had to in years," she looks a bit amused, but I figured it was only a fool's hope.

"Mr. Lee is a jackass," I said, putting my hand on top of hers. She laughed.

"He is, but Joanna did wrong. If she's this deceitful at _five_ then imagine what she'll be like when she starts getting boyfriends," Kim stressed.

Boyfriends? "Boyfriends?" The thought strikes me like a punch to the gut. I glance at the stairs where Joanna is on the second floor playing with her brother. This is too soon. Boys shouldn't be in her life unless it's me or Wes.

Kim smiled. Why was she in such a good mood? "We'll have to ground her," Kim said.

"Okay. How?"

"No TV, no candy, no friends, no computer -," Kim listed off.

"Whoa, then what is she supposed to do?" I ask, frowning.

"That's part of the punishment."

"You don't punish kids."

"You do if they misbehave."

"They're _kids_," I say in disbelief.

"Jared, you didn't have any discipline and do you remember your teen years before me?" Kim said, rather smugly. How irritating.

"So? Joanna and Wes have two parents. I didn't," I said.

"I had one, as well," Kim pointed out.

I groaned in frustration, and then suddenly remembered my plan. I was a little horny, anyway. So if this worked out... I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. She was a bit shocked, but she responded in kind. Whooo-eee. I cradled her face in my hands, remembering us being interrupted this morning. I opened my mouth and she let me slide my tongue in. I shifted my chair so I could get closer to her. She held onto my wrist that was on her face and reached forward for my shirt with her other, yanking me closer. Oh, well, alright. I was kneeling on the ground between her legs. She didn't have to lean down to me all that much, we were practically level with one another. We kissed for a while, my hands running up and down her sides and skimming over her breasts. She gasped and pulled away so I moved down her jaw, lower down her neck.

"Daddy, Joanna hided my truck!" I growled and pulled away from Kim, who was wiping her mouth quickly. I turned my body, leaning my arms on the side of her chair.

"Wes," I said slowly, trying to regain some form of composure. He stood there, his right cheek pink, his hair tussled and his face disgruntled.

"She hit me!" he ran to me and threw his arms around my neck, pulling me down. I let out a frustrated noise and Kim disentangled herself, leaving me to lean against no one but the damn chair.

Kim was at the bottom of the stairs calling for Joanna to come down this instant. I stood up and Wes' arms were still locked around my neck.

"Are you gonna let go anytime soon, buddy?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, scared to fall the six feet down. I don't blame him and walk over to the couch where I unlatch his arms around my neck and drop him down, he laughs and rolls around among the cushions. I'm glad someone's happy because I sure wasn't for being interrupted, and something told me Joanna wouldn't be pretty soon either. I sat down with Wes jumping up and down behind me and beside me. His sister was getting in trouble – it was a good day.

Joanna sulks as she comes down the stairs, knowing her predicament. She is so smart. Kim glances at me and sees me soften up – which, only makes her expression harden.

"Sit," Kim orders, pointing at the other couch.

"Whoa!" Wes giggles, jumping higher and higher.

"Jared," Kim says and I reach over and hold Wes to my chest, locking him still. He squeals as he tries to escape my arms. His head whips back and knocks my jaw, causing me to bite my tongue.

"Jesus Christ, Wes!" I shout.

"Jared!" Kim scolds, giving me a look of disgust.

"Sorry. Wes stay still, I mean it," I say, loosening my grip and he slinks to the floor with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

Joanna sits down, her legs stretched out before her, only her ankles reaching the edge of the seat cushion. She is so tiny. How can we punish her when she looks like that?

I look over at Kim who is sitting on the ottoman. She gives me a pointed look and I try to look impassive and resolved.

Joanna's eyes are round and dark brown, her lower lip is trembling as she lets out a shaky breath. Damn, this kid is good. She knows how to lay it on thick. I'm incredibly impressed with her ability to make me feel like the worst father on the planet.

"Joanna, apologize to Wes," Kim orders. She is the rock of this family. I'm a big pussy, crying and weeping and easy. I would be a terrible single parent. I shudder at the thought.

"Sorry," she mumbles, her head down, chin to her chest.

"Look him in the eye," Kim says.

Joanna looks up, her eyes watering and stares at her brother, who is still smiling. I put a hand on his head, as a warning, but he only sees it as hilarious. Kids.

"Sorry," Joanna says, slowly with a hint of sass. Kim notices it to and her eyes narrow slightly.

"Good," she says, nevertheless. She turns to Wes. "Go upstairs, Mommy and Daddy need to talk to Joanna alone."

"But, I want to stay here!" Wes announces locking his arms around my leg. Oh for crying out loud.

"Wes," Kim says. "Jared, help," she says, realizing she'll have to be the enforcer with Joanna.

I clear my throat and lower my voice to sound more commanding and father-like. "Wesley, go upstairs, right this instant."

Wesley looks up at me from his position on the ground, and gives me a curious look. I think children can smell fear and lies. I mean, he was sizing me up, trying to come to the appropriate conclusion on if I was serious or not. He realized I was faking it, and gave me an amused look. Oh, it was so humourous that I was acting as the disciplinary one. Well, I'll show him.

"Hey, I'm being serious, man," I said. Yeah, I had to add 'man'. What was wrong with me?

"Okay, man," he laughed. How did I raise such smart-mouthed kids? I look up at Kim for help and she is giving me the exact same amused stare. That's where he got it from. My own wife, laughing at me, with my own son.

"Wes, listen to your father or there will be no ice cream for you tonight," she says, and Wesley sighs. He gets up and stomps up the stairs. "No, stomping!" Kim shouts, and he doesn't because he is scared of his mother. See, I don't want that. I want them to like me, which I realize is completely ridiculous since I should be a father first and a friend second, but, I still want that. I mean, don't get me wrong, Wesley is a Mommy's-boy and loves her dearly, but he also takes her seriously and with respect. I realized my kid had no respect for me. That was disarming and I felt myself become incredibly depressed all of a sudden.

I tried to focus on Kim's lecture to Joanna, who began crying when Kim laid out the punishment, but I couldn't concentrate.

What kind of father was I going to be?

I know it's a bit late to think about this, since I had been one for five years now, but it was such a shock to finally think about it that I became absorbed in my own thoughts.

"Now you're father and I are in complete agreement on this. So, no tricking him, got it? Right Jared?" I heard Kim wrapping up.

I nodded, my hand to my chin. Joanna was crying and I had to look away or the guilt would consume my already sad thoughts.

"Go to your room and tell your brother to come down," Kim said, and Joanna cried all the way up the stairs.

Kim looked at me with a grim expression and got up from the ottoman and sat beside me on the couch. She pulled me back so I could sink into the back cushions. She rested her head on my shoulder and linked her arm through mine. She curled her legs up onto the couch and leaned heavily on me. I didn't mind, but I was distracted. I placed my hand, the one not attached to hers, on her knee and rubbed it absently.

Wes came down the stairs slowly and turned the TV on, then folding himself into a position on his stomach on the carpet in front.

"What are you thinking?" Kim whispered, reaching to press her lips to my jaw. The loud banter of the cartoon characters drowned out Joanna's tantrum upstairs, as Wes turned up the volume to an almost deafening sound.

I was too distracted to care, and so was Kim, it seemed. "I think my kids don't respect me," I tell her.

"What?" I hear her sound truly astonished. "What are you talking about? They love you."

"Love is not respect," I reply.

"Yes it is," she insists. She places a hand on my cheek and forces me to stare at her. The flash of bright colours fills my peripheral vision. "Jared, they look up to you so much."

"I'm tall," I say.

"Shut up," she practically has to press her mouth to my ear so I can hear her over the television. We're both in no mood to snap at Wes, to tell him to turn it down. "They adore you. They laugh at you and with you. They love your voice when you read them stories before bed. They always ask for your opinion on what they do. They beg you to take them to the park. They get you to kill the bugs in their room. They ask you to fix their toys. They want you to watch them jump into the pool during their swimming lessons. They do funny things because when you laugh at their jokes it's a high compliment. They love it when you make them macaroni and cheese, it's the best. They know you will protect them and that they're safe with you. They know you love their Mommy deeply. And they know you love them, very much."

I'm getting choked up at her words, for like, the fiftieth time today. I look up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly. Fatherhood has made me into a sucker. How was I going to survive the next twelve years? When I thought about it, I realized one day Wes and Joanna would have kids of their own, and I would be a grandfather. Oh God, I'd forever be surrounded by children that will own me. They'll manipulate me and I'll be a gooey mess.

Kim kisses me on the lips and wipes away a tear I didn't know had fallen.

"My big werewolf, reduced to tears by love," she teased me, poking my side.

I smile. I don't want her to turn her attention to the television, and she doesn't, even though it is incredibly seductive.

"Hi," I whisper.

"Hi," her mouth moves, but I can't hear her. I wonder if she had heard me?

I capture her lips, and kiss softly and slowly, revelling in her feel. I grip her soft waist, and pull her closer to me, as I angle my body so that I can get her whole body lined with mine. It won't go any further then us just kissing, with our son right there on the floor, and who knew if we'd actually get around to having sex that night, but it didn't matter. She, Wes and Joanna were my life and I never wanted that to change. If I could keep this moment, I would: with Kim kissing me, Wes laughing manically at the television, and even with my unhappy daughter upstairs. I wished Joanna was happy, but that would be for another day.

**R/R!!**


End file.
